A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Working from Home

• Blog Post
   This is the third post of a multi-part blog series for people spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or for any other reason, called A Stay at Home Wellness Guide. The series provide tips and common sense for how to live a happier and healthier life addressing how we eat, exercise, work, shop, enjoy entertainment, further our education, and worship just to name a few important things. While the inspiration came from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ideas presented are applicable for healthy living regardless of current circumstances.

  Are you nervous about having to make the switch from office employee to remote worker?

  Working from home has been growing in popularity for years. Quarantine orders made it a reality for most businesses and workers but experts agree it will likely remain in place long after the virus clears up. There are even advantages to employers and employees in terms of productivity, cost-savings, and convenience in the right situations.

  Employee wellness is a major concern when it comes to being an at-home worker. It's easy to feel depressed or get sick because you aren't taking care of yourself.

  We've compiled his wellness guide to help prepare you for work at home. Keep reading below for some tips on how to set up a home office, schedule your time, stay active, eat right, and take care of your mental health.

  

  Make your Home Office a healthy place.

  
  

  Working From Home? Maintain Your Daily Routine

  As human beings, we're hardwired for routine. It's safe, predictable, and allows us to be as efficient as possible. When doing your job at home, your routine is everything.

  Keep getting up early in the morning even though you don't have to drive to work or need to report for duty at a certain time. Schedule out your entire day in working blocks to ensure you get everything done. You should also set regular working hours so you don't overdo it.

  Taking scheduled breaks can help you throughout the day. Consider leaving the house at least once a day for a change of scenery. Staying social is also very important. Connect with friends or family when you're not working to avoid feeling lonely.

  Once you're done for the day, leave your workspace and don't return to it until the next day. Think of this imaginary distance as your daily commute. You need to disconnect from work like you would've done before going remote.

  Create a Designated Workspace in Your Home

  This is the most important piece of advice we can give. You need to create a separate workspace in your home. Don't try working from your bed or the couch. These are places for relaxation and could affect your motivation and energy levels.

  Instead, identify a quiet spot in your home that's large enough for you to work and ideally has a door. Consider if you'll have clients or customers visiting you over the course of a day. This could change where you have it.

  Set up your desk near a window and add some plants or personal photos to make things more intimate. Some people even use a standing desk or order an ergonomic chair. The key here is to keep your neck and back supported while working for long stretches of time.

  Where you choose to work depends on your needs. It could be a spare room, kitchen, dining room, or a converted garage. Make sure you have high-speed internet, appropriate technology, and all of the equipment needed to do your job.

  Schedule Time To Stay Active

  Exercising is more difficult when you work from home but it's necessary. Your health should be a top priority and staying active is good for your body and mind. 

  One of the best things you can do is schedule a block of time for regular exercise. This could include jogging outside, bike riding, or getting creative with home workouts.

  If you're really busy, set an alarm to get up and walk around your house every half hour. You can also do workouts that include jumping jacks, dancing, stretching, or lifting jugs of milk around your house.

  You can even get a good workout by cleaning your house or doing some yard work.

  There is evidence that sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, deep-vein thrombosis, and metabolic syndrome.

  Eat Well at Home for a Healthy Lifestyle

  Just as important as staying active, you need to fuel your body with good quality food. It's so easy to eat junk food out of your pantry when you're on deadline, but you must resist the urge. Poor nutrition will make you tired and susceptible to colds.

  Limit the amount of takeout you order because it's far less healthy than dishes you can make at home.

  Here are some tips on eating right when you work from home:

  1. Eat a variety of foods to avoid boredom and intolerances
  2. Cook more of your food at home so you can control the ingredients
  3. Plan your meals to save money and stay organized throughout the week
  4. Try out new healthy recipes to keep things fresh
  5. Only buy healthy snacks at the store

  You don't want to decrease your immunity or work productivity by eating the wrong kinds of food.

  There are a lot of healthy food suggestions or delicious recipes that you can find online and easily make.

  Manage Your Mental Health When Working Remotely

  It's easy to forget about managing your mental health. But, it's very important to take care of yourself.

  Most mental health strategies mirror what has already been suggested: create a dedicated workspace, keep routines, take breaks, and stay connected with other people.

  When home you should take advantage of digital communication tools to collaborate with colleagues or check in with each other to make sure everyone is feeling good.

  Staying physically active is good for mental health.

  Getting away from the computer and doing something you enjoy is another way to stay healthy. And it's probably a good idea not to spend too much time on social media.

  Make the Most of Remote Work

  Hopefully this has been helpful in providing you with some ideas to stay physically and mentally healthy while working from home.

  Most importantly, stay on a routine, eat right, and exercise.

• Related Content
   Related Content

  We encourage you to take advantage of this related Wellness content on our website.

  

  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide

  With the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, more people are spending time at home. This is impacting all aspects of our life and living including how we eat, exercise, work, further our education, worship, shop, and enjoy entertainment, just to name a few important things. This series will provide tips and common sense for how we can live a happier and healthier life while spending more time at home, or any other place for that matter.

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  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Eating Better

  Many of us turn to comfort and convenience when our routines get disrupted and when we get stressed. This is particularly true regarding our food choices. Nobody is perfect but there are some simple and practical things we can do to eat better no matter our current circumstances.

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  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Entertaining at Home

  Healthy entertainment at home is important to our happiness and wellbeing, especially when we are spending more time there than normal. Consider these ideas for fun and entertaining activities you can do at home.

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  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Exercise

  Physical activity is a great way to facilitate better health and reduce stress. While we are spending more time at home, consider these suggestions to alter activities you are likely already doing, to provide more movement in your daily routines.

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  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Learning from Home

  As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 93% of households with school-age children were participating in some form of distance learning. This means that the way the children are being educated has dramatically shifted. Let's take a look at how you and your children can be learning from home while also maintaining mental and physical wellness.

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  A Stay at Home Wellness Guide: Shopping from Home

  Working at home begins with wellness at home. If you once had an office job, you probably thought that getting home and being at home were at-home wellness activities in and of themselves.

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  Healthy Living Whole Foods Recipes

  The foods we choose to put into our body should be helping us live more vibrant and productive lives but for many they are the leading contributor to chronic disease.

  Many people know "what" to do to be healthy, but HOW do you do it? One of the best ways we have found is to show people how we eat as a family. This customizable, whole foods cookbook features healthy, affordable, great-tasting recipes that are easy-to-make. We hope you enjoy these recipes and encourage you to share them with your family and friends!

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  Impact to Life at Home Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that we have been living our lives this year.  Time Magazine has declared 2020 to be "The Worst Year Ever". Much of the world has moved to live life mostly indoors as social distancing has affected everyone to some degree.

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  Quick Healthy Snacks

  Today I'd like to remind you that it's easy to do something healthy for yourself. Especially in the snacking department!

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  Staying Safe at the Gym During COVID-19

  Did you know that, according to a national study that analyzed over 4.9 million health clubs, only 0.0023% tested positive for COVID-19? Gyms are doing all they can to keep their gym members safe, and this statistic proves it.

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  Work From Home Opportunity in the Wellness Industry

  With the onset of COVID-19, changes to the political landscape, and the uncertainty these have brought into nearly all aspects of our lives, many individuals and families are seeking to have more choice and control over their health, finances, work environment, and time. This presents an opportunity to take a look at home-based businesses.

  FirstFitness Nutrition provides an opportunity to change your life physically and financially earning part-time to full-time income promoting their line of Wellness products from the comfort of your home.

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