Stay healthy while working from home: 10 Tips
How do I stay healthy whilst working from home? 10 tips
We’ve had a few clients asking what’s the best way to remain healthy whilst staying at home. So I wanted to share with you 10 tips that I personally find helpful, as well as my already working from home clients.
Working from home takes a lot more discipline than working from your regular place of work. It’s easy to find yourself house cleaning, washing dishes, staring inside the fridge, all without realising you’ve just wasted 30 minutes here and there. In order for you to keep your focus AND your health, try these tips to keep you on top of your game when working from home.
Here are my tips!
Get outside
Self-isolating doesn’t mean barricading the front doors. One of the best ways to keep your immune system healthy is to get plenty of Vitamin D and fresh air. Whilst the sun is temporarily out, I’d urge you to invest 20-30 minutes at least getting outside and going for a walk. Just stay away from other people! On the note of going for walks. It’s often a nice way to start the day before you settle down to ‘work from home.’ Think of it as your daily commute. The space between your work head and your home head. It’s a great way to get yourself mentally set up for the day AND for you to get some fresh air.
Avoid becoming distracted by food!
It’s easy to find distraction from work by magically finding yourself in front of the fridge. However if you can try and refrain from snacking, unless that is currently a part of your healthy eating regime. Pay attention to your actual hunger cues, or whether you’re just looking for that break or distraction from work.
Change your working posture from time to time.
If possible, split your time between sitting at your desk, standing, kneeling on the floor and various other postures. This way you keep little elements of movement in your day without resorting to the ‘chair slump.’ So in essence you are keeping the blood flowing, the brain more oxygenated enabling you to keep your focus.
Plan little walks when scheduling calls
When you have calls scheduled use these as opportunities to move around. Either take them outside for a ‘walking meeting’ or keep moving around at home until the call is done.
Eat a low-inflammatory diet rich in vitamins and minerals
Make sure you are getting plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. This is an obvious one but in a case when we’re looking to build a strong immune system, these vitamin and mineral rich foods are essential for good health. If your local shop is out, frozen is second best.
Buy some air-purifying plants for the house.
If you do happen to be near a garden centre or a plant shop, try and get some oxygenated plants for your home. Peace lilies are great oxygenators. Just google air purifying plants for the home and a bunch will come up.
Designated work space.
Try and use a space at home that is dedicated to working only. Ideally not the kitchen or the bedroom, and away from the TV. Add your plants in, lots of natural light where possible and you’re good to go.
Utilise power naps to boost your focus.
Take advantage of the quiet house and schedule in a 20 minute power nap during the day. This has been proven to restore focus and energy and press the reset button, making you work more efficiently after the afternoon energy drop.
Aim to integrate a regular breathwork practice.
This has been shown time and time again to be beneficial for our immune system, our stress levels and improving the health of our mitochondria. If you’re wondering what the mitochondria are, they are the powerhouse of our cells. It takes the nutrients and transforms them into usable energy, which is known as cellular respiration. So, pretty important stuff! If you can, start a regular breathwork practice which will either train your respiratory system, or destress you. I will be making some videos on different types of breathing practices and their benefits, and how you can apply these at home.
Maintain a regular exercise regime.
This is crucial for your physical, emotional and mental health. Make it a given to do something everyday, even if it’s just 15 minutes. There are millions of videos on YouTube that require minimal equipment so perfect to do at home. If you have injuries and are concerned about whether you may hurt yourself further, we offer online coaching to help you on your way. We will also be putting up some exercise and movement videos over the next few days that will help you stay and fit and mobile at home.
Stay healthy!
Natalie
Perfect Balance Movement Specialist and Personal Trainer