Ever found yourself working from home, and you can’t help but reach for the potato chips or dry cereal to snack on? Or you might have worked all day and then realized that you hadn’t eaten all day? Or maybe your promise of having two cookies turned into eating everything in the cookie jar?
When it comes to working at home, it can be easy to lose track of your nutritional intake; it can be hard to eat healthy while working remotely. In fact, when you’re at home, you might feel comfortable about the fact that there’s plenty of food within your reach, unlike a regular office setting. However, the foods that you eat (especially the unhealthy ones) can hinder your productivity and activeness.
Today, we discuss the five tips for eating healthy while working from home.
“If you set your desk near the kitchen, chances are you’ll be tempted to sneak over to the fridge to grab something to eat,” says David Parsons, a freelance writer at Writinity and Last minute writing. “And if you sneak to the fridge frequently, it makes you lose track of your work. Instead, have your work station away from the kitchen, and put a sign on the fridge and pantry reminding you that the kitchen is closed until the next time you schedule a meal or snack.”
1. Stay Away From The Kitchen When Working
2. Eat When Absolutely Necessary
As you work, it’s important not to forget about eat. Even if you have to take a short break from work, you have to eat something to keep the energy going. And, if you need to, set an alarm on your phone (or on a regular alarm clock) to remind yourself to stop and eat.
According to the FDA, 400 milligrams of caffeine (four or five cups of coffee) is considered safe for consumption, depending on the drinker, and the time of day that it’s being consumed. One great recommendation is to have your coffee between nine and eleven in the morning, so that you don’t disrupt your natural sleep-and-wake patterns. Caffeine releases adrenaline; however, that can result in a crash sometime later.
What’s worse is that many people don’t take advantage of drinking water during the day, and opt for caffeine to function. And, according to a 2016 report by the CDC, most American adults between 20 to 60 years old drink barely enough water, while adults older than 60 drink less than the recommended serving.
Water has really good benefits besides hydration. Water can help you feel full, and make your body mistake thirst for hunger. So, try to have a bottle (or glass) of water accessible in your workspace.
3. Balance Caffeine And Water
4. Eat Wholesome Foods
Snacking isn’t a problem, unless you’re sticking to sugary and fatty foods. Instead, opt for wholesome foods like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and greens are excellent sources of protein, minerals and vitamins; and they’re really good in helping you concentrate on things such as work for long hours. Finally, as you prepare these healthy foods for snacking, make sure that the serving portion is a good size – not too much nor too little.
“Freelancers often have schedules that help them balance work and life,” says Evie Harris, a health blogger at Draft beyond and Research Papers UK. “However, newer freelancers and remote workers tend to jump into uncharted waters and snack here and there, and ruining their eating schedule.”
So, how can freelancers and remote workers take control of their eating and working, if they’re new to the gig?
“Creating a schedule is effective for all freelancers and remote workers, regardless of skillset,” adds Harris. “No matter what, don’t skip breakfast, because that’s what helps you kickstart your day. Then, schedule lunch and dinner within your work period; take breaks to have lunch and dinner – two breaks dedicated to them. And when you want to snack, try to limit your time spent on snacking, sticking to one or two designated snack breaks.”
Conclusion
It’s important to staying healthy, especially when working remotely. Although working from home can be comfortable at times, it can be too tempting to fall into the bad habits of sitting around and snacking all day.
Fortunately, will these five tips, you can better balance work and eating, and be healthy and productive throughout the day.
Ashley Halsey writes for both Top assignment writers in Edinburgh and Gumessays.com. As a professional writer, she has been involved in many major writing projects and collaborations, and has spoken in many business training sessions throughout the country. In her spare time, she likes to read, travel, and spend time with her two children.
