During the pandemic, many companies transitioned their employees from working in an office to working out of their homes. This completely changed the employee’s routines, some for the better and some for the worse.
Many felt gratitude for being able to skip the commute and work in the comfort of their own home. However, those with unstable or chaotic home environments did not agree. Since many workplaces learned that the “work from home” strategy is doable, more people are working remotely now than ever.
So, how can you ensure you stay healthy while working from home? This article will cover a few crucial tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
Create A Work-Life Balance
When we mix our work with our home environment, it can become tricky to separate the two. So, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for our well-being. Work-life balance is defined as “an individual’s ability to meet work and family commitments, as well as other non-work responsibilities and activities.”
To achieve this, a person must have enough time for work and personal life. Studies have shown that a work-life imbalance can cause dissatisfaction, drug and alcohol use, and prolonged sadness. It can also have a negative impact on family life and can lead to exhaustion.
Creating a work-life balance is not always easy, but it may look like setting specific work hours, taking breaks throughout the day, and communicating with your family about your work schedule.
Take Breaks And Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries and scheduling breaks are the easiest ways to stay healthy while working from home. However, it can be easy to get caught up in work and forget to take care of yourself when you’re at home.
It is essential to stick to the same work hours as you had in person. Unless, of course, your hours have been adjusted. This way, you can still enjoy your evenings and your mornings without your work cutting into them. Plus, if you have always worked in person and you transfer to working from home, your whole work day should ideally become shorter because it doesn’t involve a commute! If you have too much work to finish during the designated work hours, try talking to your employer to see if any changes can be made.
Setting healthy boundaries in the late evening, early morning, or during breaks is very important to prevent burnout. Breaks should be scheduled multiple times a day to ensure you can take a few minutes for yourself. During these break times, it is healthy to step away from your work completely. This means no checking email, no taking work-related phone calls, and no working on anything related to your job.
Integrate Movement Into The Work Day
There is a ton of evidence proving that sedentary behaviors, such as sitting and lying down, can negatively affect our health when we engage in them for several hours per day. For example, prolonged sitting periods can adversely affect many health outcomes, such as type II diabetes, cardio-metabolic risk factors, and even premature mortality.
For office workers and those who work at home, this is a very important area to touch on since the majority of their workday is spent seated. Rather than sitting for 8+ hours per day, employees could try taking standing breaks from their computer every 30 minutes, standing during phone calls, and going for walks on breaks.
Another helpful tool is to invest in a height-adjustable desk, or “sit-stand desk.” These have been shown to reduce sedentary behavior and improve workers’ health and productivity!
Healthy Eating
One of the simplest and most essential ways to stay healthy while working from home is to eat a healthy diet! We talk about that a lot here at Bump Vitamins, but it’s always good to have a refresher. A healthy and wholesome diet focuses on nutrient-dense whole foods. These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and protein sources from either wild seafood, ethically raised meats and poultry, or plant proteins such as beans.
The benefit of being at home is you don’t have to worry about packing lunch. Assuming you are given a proper break, you could have an opportunity to cook during the day. Make sure to have alternative food prepared in case you’re in a pinch and don’t get a chance to cook.
Working from home might tempt you to order delivery from a local restaurant. There are plenty of healthy options available. However, most restaurants use excessive amounts of salt, sugar, and oils to make the food taste better. So, ordering take-out every day may not be the best choice for our health. Meal prepping and taking advantage of any extra time to cook is the easiest way to stay on track!
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health, yet so many of us don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Severe dehydration has been linked to cognitive deficits in mood disturbances as well as short-term memory and visual perceptual abilities. On the other hand, water consumption can improve cognitive performance, especially visual attention and mood.
Daily water requirements vary from person to person and depend on many factors, such as activity level and water intake from food. However, a good tool to gauge hydration status is looking at the color of your urine. Your hydration levels are typically adequate when the color is light yellow.
Conclusion
Working from home has become the new norm for many people. And with that, we need to be extra vigilant about our health and well-being. By following the tips above, you can set yourself up for success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while working from the comfort of your own home!
About The Author
Jirina is a Holistic Nutritionist with bumpvitamins.com. She also works as a naturopathic doctor’s assistant & sees clients one-on-one for nutritional counseling. She specializes in plant-based nutrition and works with many clients with weight loss goals.
Jirina completed her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. She also has diplomas in Human Kinetics/Exercise Science, Holistic Nutrition & Health Coaching, as well as in Advanced Holistic Nutrition to become a Nutritionist. She completed a specialization course in vegan and vegetarian nutrition to complement her practice.
