Working from home became an ordinary thing for many people today. Although it has a lot of benefits, it also brings some health issues, mostly related to lack of physical activity and a bad diet. But there are things you can do to stay healthy while working from home.
Common Challenges of Working From Home
Don’t think you are alone if you feel unmotivated, overwhelmed, or you feel the pain somewhere in your body. Most people share the same problems and challenges when it comes to working from home. The most common are:
- Musculoskeletal pain – physical pain in your joints, muscles, bones, or tendons due to lack of activity and spending an excessive amount of time in front of your computer or laptop.
- Mental health issues – less socialization and lack of human contact can lead to the feeling of isolation, anxiety, stress, depression, burnout, lack of motivation, etc.
- Weight gain and obesity – sedentary lifestyle in combination with a bad diet inevitably leads to weight gain and obesity.
- Eyestrain – Most people do their work from home sitting in front of a computer. On top ofÂ
that, we spend a lot of our free time using smartphones or watching TV. So, it means that we spend most of our day in front of some type of screen. That causes a lot of eyestrain that, in the long run, can ruin our eye health. You can always check if you need glasses or eye drops to keep your eyes healthy.
Tips on How to Stay Healthy While Working from Home
If you are experiencing these kinds of problems, it doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way. There are new habits you can learn and new patterns to apply in order to stay healthy and happy when you work from home.
1. Create a Dedicated Workspace
This is a must-do thing because if you eat, sleep, and work in the same place, it will have a negative impact on your mental health, sleeping routine, and overall satisfaction. Your brain will mix up the relax time with the work time, and it will create a lot of confusion.
The ideal solution would be turning a spare room into a home office. But, if you don’t have a spare room, or you live in an apartment, you can use a certain corner or part of the room. As long as that area of your home is used for work and work only. And make sure to avoid distractions as much as possible.
2. Invest in the Proper Equipment
If you are working from home, anything you use in the process is your work equipment. Computer, table, and chair are your basic equipment.
Now, chairs are extremely important because you spend a lot of time in one position – sitting down. And when the chair is bad, you will certainly have issues with your back, joints, sore muscles, etc. Make sure to get the chair that will support your back and your body properly.
3. Establish a Routine and Take Breaks
Just because you are working from home, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to have the routine you had before. That means that you should continue with your morning routine (taking a shower, dress nicely, eat breakfast, etc.) before you start working.
And while you are working, take breaks, just as you would if you were not working from home. Which means, coffee break, lunch break, stretching break, etc.
4. Stay in Touch with Others
Even though you are working from home, you can always stay in touch, not only with your family and friends but also with your colleagues or former colleagues. Socialization is extremely important in order to avoid feelings of isolation which can lead to serious mental issues. Just reach out and be available.
5. Be Active and Eat a Healthy Diet
Regular exercise is a must when it comes to working from home. When you work sitting down, your body needs movement. So, set up an exercise schedule. It can be a workout routine at home, yoga, lifting weights, stretching, running outside, or any other exercise routine you like. But, you need to get your body moving.
Also, you need to eat healthy food and drink enough water. Even though some people eat more when they work from home, usually because of stress, you can turn this into something positive.
Think of working from home as an advantage when it comes to your diet. Now, you can prepare all the healthy meals that you can’t at work. You have access to all the healthy snacks all day long. And you can schedule what you can eat and when you can eat it, which is not exactly the case when you are not working from home.
Team
