Due to the current situation with the coronavirus outbreak, a whole lot more people are finding themselves working from home. Some are finding it a breeze while others are struggling more than they would have anticipated.
As well as worrying about setting up a home office and getting a contract with one of the best internet providers so that they can stay connected and work efficiently, one of the things new home workers are struggling with the most is their health. It can be tough to stay fit and healthy when you’re working from home, but there are a few things that can help...
Get a really good chair
One of the most common complaints coming from people who are now working from home is that they are suffering from back pain. This is probably, at least in part, because they are not using a chair that is as supportive as the ones they are used to at work. A good, ergonomically designed chair will keep your spine correctly aligned throughout the day, so you don’t get all those aches and pains. If you don’t have one of those, try out every chair in your home and choose the one that offers the greatest level of comfort and support.
Move around regularly
It may also be a good idea to get up and move around for at least 5 minutes of every hour you work. That will give your muscles and bones a break, enable you to stretch your legs and prevent you from feeling too achy at the end of a hard day working from home. You could even get a standing desk — or use a high enough work surface in your home as your desk — so you don’t have to sit down or put any stress on your back at all.
Have a schedule in place
Setting a schedule when you’re working from home is an excellent way of protecting your mental health. Days can seem aimless and it can be difficult to get motivated when you don’t have anything set in stone, so by putting together a plan for the day — it can be different each day — you can bring some structure back and make things easier on your self.
Workout daily
Whether you do leg lifts at your desk or take a break to stream some Yoga with Adriene, when you’re working from home, it’s really important that you add some exercise into your day. Since you won’t be going to and from work or walking around the office, your activity levels will probably be much lower than usual, and this is a good way to counteract that and benefit your health. Aim for 30 minutes a day, but any amount of exercise you can do should have a positive effect.
Take up meditation
Everywhere you go, everyone is telling you to take up meditation for whatever ails you and so you might be cynical about the whole thing, but it really can be great for your mental health, especially when you’re working from home. Why? Because working from home in an environment you aren’t used to working in can be stressful. It can also be difficult to switch off from work into relaxation mode. Learning how to meditate will teach you how to relax more easily, release stress and go about your days more calmly. It can also help to boost motivation and concentration levels, which are both things a lot of people working from home struggle with. It might not be for you, but at least give it a decent try because many people find it to be transformational.
Schedule Zoom meetings
The isolation that comes with working from home can get to a lot of people and cause them to feel lonely and depressed. Although it isn’t quite the same as seeing them face to face, arranging meetings with your workmates via apps like Zoom and Skype is a great way to keep your mental health in the right place. In fact, don’t be afraid to arrange more meetings than you ever would have done during a normal working week if you think it would be beneficial. Most people will probably be happy to have the company for a little while.
Create a relaxing environment
Working from home means that you have more control than ever before over your working environment. You should definitely take advantage of this by making your workspace as relaxing as possible. Whether you want to light soothing scented candles on your desk, fill the room with plants that are as pretty as they are soothing, not to mention productivity-boosting, or fill the room with your favorite essential oils, do whatever it takes to make your working environment as positive as possible for you. If you have the time, you might even want to redecorate the place and switch up the decor too. I mean, why not?
Fill the fridge with healthy stuff
So many people who work from home end up putting on weight simply because they have unfettered access to the kitchen and no real reason to leave the house and move around as often as they did before. If you want to stay trim, then, it’s a good idea to get rid of any junk in the kitchen and ensure that there’s always a supply of healthy snacks ready and waiting in the fridge.
Actually switch off
Something that can really affect the health of people who work from home, and not in a good way, is the blurring of lines between work life and home life. It’s so easy for the two to become one and for the worker never to switch off and relax. This leads to stress, depression, burn out, and even physical symptoms like IBS flare-ups, and it is to be avoided at all costs. Set a time that you will finish work each day and turn off the computer exactly then — the work will still be there tomorrow and no one will die!
Home working doesn’t have to be unhealthy!
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