8 Healthy Habits for working remote

8 Healthy Habits for a Better Work from Home Experience 

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot of changes - it taught us to maintain social distancing. Since working from home is a preventative measure, to prevent the spread of COVID, there has been a rise in companies allowing employees to work from home.

Although working from home has been proven to be beneficial in several ways, it can also have its drawbacks. According to a large share of employees who have been working from home for months, it often causes physical and mental health problems(1). Therefore it is necessary to maintain some healthy habits in order to overcome these mental, physical, and social challenges.

Healthy Habits for Employees – How to Work from Home Productively 

1. Get Up Early and Maintain a Routine

Now that you have been working from home, you have the opportunity to set your daily work routine. Although it might be tempting to sleep late in the morning by ignoring your work, don’t indulge in this. Creating and maintaining a proper morning routine is necessary. It helps you become more productive.

2. Do Exercise Daily

Working from home often causes several health problems due to less physical exercise and an increase in junk food intake. Also, workers face some mental health issues due to a lack of communication with colleagues, increased work hours, and excessive workload. The best way to lower the risk of these physical and mental health problems is through exercise. 

Exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight. You can expect to stay fit and healthy with daily workouts. That’s not all – exercise has been proven beneficial for mental health. It improves emotional health by uplifting mood, reducing stress, depression, and anxiety.

3. Eat Healthy – Avoid Junk Food

When being confined in a room and working for hours, workers often cannot resist consuming more and more junk food. This affects their health a lot. Are you one of them? If yes, then it’s time to think about this matter with a serious approach. Besides exercising, it is necessary to eat a healthy diet. Say no to processed and junk food and start eating a healthy diet from today.

A healthy diet consists of nutritious foods, including whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products (low fat). It also includes nuts and beans. Limiting sugary foods is also necessary. Drinking an adequate amount of water is a must since it minimizes dehydration and constipation risks.

4. Set Up Your Home Office and Practice Good Posture

Sometimes, you may find it tempting to work from bed. But this is not an ideal posture at all. Workers often suffer from back pain, neck pain, knee and hip pain, shoulder pain, and headache due to poor posture.

To promote good posture and also to keep all these problems at bay, set up a home office with ergonomic furniture. An ideal chair for the office is the one that has armrests and a comfortable seat. Set the chair height in such a way that your feet remain flat on the floor. Your hips and knees should be in the same line. Sit up straight on the chair. Your monitor should be kept below your eye level. 

5. Set Goals and Work Productively

Identifying priorities and setting small goals always help you work more productively. Before you log out, make a to-do list for the next day. Thus, you will be prepared for the work you are going to handle the next day.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself even if the workload is too much. Even if you stay home, eat a healthy diet, read and go for a walk sometimes.

6. Take Small Breaks from Work

Taking small breaks from work is necessary. This is essential when it comes to productivity. It improves your quality of work, boosts energy, and uplifts your mood. Now the question is – when should you take breaks? Here is our answer for you – when your eyes become dry, and you feel tired, when you need motivation and when you need to boost your creativity.

7. Balance Professional and Personal Life

Employees who work remotely often find it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. Don’t let this happen to you. Rather, work productively, say no to procrastination, and set boundaries. Having a separate home office or workspace is also important.

8. Practice Journaling and Meditate

Take a few minutes to an hour and connect with yourself. Journaling and meditation are powerful tools for introspection, self-reflection, and above all, personal growth. Find a secluded place and do journaling for at least 15 minutes. Also, try to meditate at least for 30 minutes a day. Meditation helps you know yourself in a better way. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep is also very important. So, no matter how busy you are with your work or personal life, make sure you sleep for at least seven to eight hours a day, eat a healthy diet, and exercise daily. All these are important for employees like you regardless of where you work. So, stay healthy, practice some good habits, and work productively daily.