Staying fit and healthy while working from home
Most people believe it’s easier to stay fit and healthy when working from home. After all, you have a free access to the kitchen and you can avoid all those sugary office snacks.
But the problem is, people working from home tend to be less healthy and more prone to obesity. They’re overloaded with work and often feel too tired to take care of their health or body shape.
When life and work are happening in the same space – your house – creating a healthy and happy work-life balance is highly challenging. Here are some really useful tips to help you out.
1. Master the art of scheduling
Successful people plan and schedule everything – literally. They even know what they’re going to do on this day in a year. Perhaps your life isn’t that busy to schedule this way, but scheduling your next day is critical. Your schedule doesn’t have to be detailed as even a quick outline can help you prioritize your workload and stay on task.
Don’t plan too much and make sure you will be able to complete your outline till the evening, not the midnight. Include time for phone calls, a lunch break, and any meetings you might have. When scheduling your day, think about the time of day – usually, it’s morning – you feel most alert and energized and plan the most difficult tasks accordingly. Schedule a short nap for the time of day you’re prone to distraction or feel most sluggish.
2. Have your personal work area
The perk of working from home is that you can work anywhere in the house. But this anywhere is actually a drawback rather than a perk. Design a special area for your work where you’ll have a work mindset. It can be the corner of a room, dining room table, or a separate home office if your house is big enough for it. Not only will a personal work area jump-start a working mindset, but will also indicate your family members that you’re at work. If your house is full of kids, try to choose a space with minimal distractions. Organize your work area and add a couple of plants to inspire yourself to work each morning.
3. Add exercise to your schedule
When you work from home, you can exercise anytime. Sure? Nope! Today you might be motivated to do some stretches and lunges, but tomorrow you might even forget to work out at all. Exercise has plenty of physical and mental health benefits. Plus, it helps to boost your energy levels and productivity. Create your small fitness program and incorporate it into your daily schedule. You’ll never skip it again.
4. Include meals and snacks as well
It’s so tempting to wake up and just head to your working area because you have tons of work to complete today. What about your breakfast, though? Skipping one of the most important meals of the day is bad for your well-being and waistline. Healthy eating is vital for staying productive, energized, and focused throughout the day.
The best way to eat healthy when working from home is by stocking your fridge and pantry with wholesome foods and by preparing your meals and snacks in advance. Make sure you always have fruit and veggies in your kitchen. Pre-portion your snacks and grab some to your work area. A handful of nuts, sliced orange, or hummus with red bell pepper strips or whole grain crackers are all healthy snack ideas to consider.
Avoid eating sugary foods, particularly refined carbs like white bread. Each of your meals must be nutrient-dense even if it’s low in calories. Practice mindful eating and make sure you eat your meals in the kitchen. This will prevent the mess in your work area and reduce the likelihood of overeating.
5. Stay hydrated
Dehydration triggers headaches, fatigue, and digestive issues. Moreover, it contributes to weight gain and negatively affects your productivity level. Get into a habit of drinking 7 to 8 glasses of filtered water throughout the day to hydrate your body and increase your energy levels. Water helps to speed up the metabolic rate, aiding in weight loss.
6. Leave your house once a day
Working from home often leaves people locked inside the house for days, especially if you don’t live alone. Getting out of your house to take a stroll in the park or meet a friend for a coffee break is good for your mental and physical health. You spend too much time in front of the screen so let yourself enjoy some fresh air. A sedentary lifestyle has many side effects, including heart disease, obesity, blood pressure spikes, and a stroke. By leaving your house at least once a day, you’ll enjoy the beauty of nature and social interaction.
7. Know the line between home and work time
This line has a tendency to blur when you work from home. When you work in the office, you know when your workday ends and when you can go home. When you’re already home, you can end up working much longer than needed. It might be because you want to finally accomplish your project or because you were not careful during your lunch break and ended up turning into a Netflix marathon. Whatever the reason, you must do something to change the situation. Do your work only during the working hours and leave your working space at the end of the day.
8. Get dressed
This trick can remind you when your workday starts and ends. Wake up, get showered, have your breakfast, and dress as if you’re heading to the office. It may sound funny or weird, but it truly works. When you spend your entire day in pajamas, your brain believes it’s a relaxing day so no wonder you’re dealing with a writer’s block today.
8 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy When Working from Home Final Thoughts
Working from home has definitely its awesome benefits, but if you don’t develop healthy habits and don’t follow them, you have an increased chance of failing one day.
