Top Tips For A Healthy Work Lifestyle At Home
The disruption to life as we know it has left many struggling to find our feet when it comes to working from home. Our daily routine of getting up, travelling to and from work, and eating meals at set times has always been a relatively straightforward task.
But since setting up a workspace at home, days have been a lot less structured. We’ve had to rely on ourselves to manage our schedules, which is easier said than done.
There are many benefits to working from home. However, it has its challenges. It’s important now to stay healthy, adapt to a new work life, and make the best of our new lifestyle by setting healthy routines. We’ve rounded up 5 tips to look after yourself at home.
Designate a workspace
First up, the environment you work in can have a big impact on your productivity. Creating an ergonomic workspace solely for work purposes, such as at a desk or in a home office, will help your mind to focus on the task at hand. Eliminate distractions and external noise by taking yourself away from it.
When working at a desk all day, keeping good posture is key. Invest in a comfortable and ergonomic chair with a supportive back, sit upright and take regular breaks from sitting.
Secure a sleep schedule
Managing a sleep schedule was hard enough even before working from home. But mastering your sleep pattern will give you major benefits.
Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on job performance. Sleep is essential, and not getting enough can affect our ability to maintain information, create new memories and slow our responses. Sleep quality is improved when you go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Once you control it or look to sleep aids, you’ll see a major improvement in the way you feel and work.
Get moving
One of the good things about working from home is that you can multitask your activities. Make a conscious effort throughout the day to move your body, and keep your muscles active. We recommend setting an alarm to ring every hour as a reminder.
It doesn’t have to be a long, intensive workout either. Many online classes start at just 15 minutes, including yoga, Pilates and stretching sessions. Or you can purchase a pilates machine and have a session at home. You could even drop some squats while the kettle boils, race up the stairs to grab a sweater, or take a stroll to the local coffee shop. Many studies have found a link between exercise and brain function which can boost creative ability. It could give you that focus you’ve been missing.
Plan meals in advance
Planning and preparing your meals in advance can save you time and energy during your work day at home. Knowing exactly what you will eat each day will help ensure you are getting the right nutrients and steer you away from grabbing fast food in a hurry.
It will also save you money, you’ll see a difference in your bank balance once you cut out the midday takeaways and snack runs.
A good idea is to avoid waste. You can freeze any leftover food from dinner time, and then all you need to do is defrost it the evening before. Your home cooked meal will be there waiting for you.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is something we should all practice. Dedicating a time of day to spend time with yourself will help to keep your mind healthy. You could try stretching or mediation before getting stuck into work, or even play music to uplift your mood.
When you take care of yourself, your ability to thrive is far greater. A healthy mind and body will put you in a better headspace for work. It’s stressful to work when stressed. Soothing your mind and relaxing your body will allow you to make the most out of your work day.
Taking these tips into account when planning your week will help to give you that work life balance. Just because you’re out of the office doesn’t mean you should stop caring for yourself. Creating the right structure will improve your overall productivity while working from home.
