10 EASY WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

Working from home, which once seemed a liability has become a new normal today. Especially in the times of the current crisis. Many of us have recently transitioned to working from home. The idea behind working from home might sound great! You don’t have to worry about clothes, you don’t have to travel to the office and you can even make yourself a homemade lunch. However, working from home is a sword with double edges. It does more harm than good to your physical as well as mental health. Isolation can be a big downer for extroverts or those who like to work amidst people. Staying healthy at work has become absolute in these difficult times.

YOU’RE ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH YOUR TEAM AND SOMEHOW YOU WANDERED INTO THE KITCHEN. YOU’RE SO ENGROSSED IN THE WORK THAT YOU DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU’VE EATEN. THEN THERE MIGHT BE DAYS WHEN YOU’RE SO CAUGHT UP IN THE WORK AND WON’T REMEMBER TO EAT ALL DAY. WHEN YOUR HOME BECOMES YOUR OFFICE, IT GETS TOUGH TO KEEP YOUR NUTRITION IN CHECK. THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT CAN HALT YOUR PRODUCTIVITY. DON'T WORRY, TODAY WE’LL TALK ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME TIPS WHICH WILL HELP YOU SET UP YOUR DAILY ROUTINE AND ENSURE THAT STAYING HEALTHY AT WORK BECOMES A REALITY. IF YOU FOLLOW THESE TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY AT WORK, ENJOYING WORKING FROM HOME AND STAYING FIT WON’T BE DIFFICULT ANYMORE.

LET’S MOVE AHEAD AND KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW TO  STAY HEALTHY AT WORK

1: KEEP THE WORK TIMINGS THE SAME AS IT USED TO BE. DON'T OVERWORK OR UNDERWORK

WHEN YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE ARE UNDER THE SAME ROOF, IT’S HARD TO SWITCH FROM ONE TO ANOTHER. PEOPLE EITHER TEND TO WORK TOO MUCH OR THEY UNDERWORK. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DEFINITION TO WHEN THE WORK FROM HOME DAY STARTS OR ENDS! ALTHOUGH WORK IS INFINITE AND THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS A RESOLVE, YOU SHOULD TRY TO AVOID THE OVERWORKING. CONSIDER SETTING DAILY APPOINTMENTS ON YOUR CALENDAR. SET UP DAILY REMINDERS AND TAKE SHORT BREAKS. IT IS ALSO ADVISED TO BE CLEAR WITH YOUR TEAM ON WHEN YOU’RE JOINING OR LEAVING. YOU CAN EVEN CREATE PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR WORKSPACE.

2: UTILIZE THE TRAVEL TIME TO THE OFFICE FOR THE WORKOUT

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONS OF WORKING FROM HOME IS YOUR INACTIVITY. YOU DON’T WALK ENOUGH, YOU DON’T GET TO TRAVEL, THESE CAN HAVE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH. HOWEVER, EXERCISING IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME CAN BE AMAZING TOO. YOU CAN UTILIZE THE OFFICE COMMUTE TIME FOR DOING DAILY EXERCISES. ONE SHOULD KNOW THAT EXCESSIVE SITTING CAN SEVERELY AFFECT OUR METABOLISM. INACTIVITY INCREASES YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL, SUGAR LEVELS AND DIRECTLY LEADS TO WEIGHT GAIN. YOUR MUSCLES IN THE BACK, HIP, NECK AND CALVES CAN EXPERIENCE PAIN OR FATIGUE TOO. WONDERING HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AT WORK? WELL, YOU CAN INCORPORATE DAILY EXERCISES SUCH AS SQUATS, PUSH-UPS, YOGA, PLANKS, BURPEES OR EVEN DUMBBELL LIFTS INTO YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE.

3: DO NOT USE THE BED AS YOUR WORKSPACE, HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE

HAVE A SPARE ROOM AT YOUR HOME? AMAZING! TURN IT INTO YOUR OFFICE. IF NOT, YOU CAN CONSIDER MAKING SOME SPACE WHICH CAN SERVE AS YOUR OFFICE FOR THE TIME BEING. BEING ONE OF THE MOST SIMPLE YET IGNORED WORKING FROM HOME TIPS, PEOPLE STILL WORK FROM THEIR BEDS. AT ANY COST, ONE SHOULD AVOID THIS. IF YOU DECODE THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT YOU’D NOTICE THAT THE ACT MAKES YOU LAZY. WHEN YOU SIT ON THE BED WITH YOUR LAPTOP FOR HOURS, YOU ARE LIKELY TO LOSE YOUR FOCUS HERE AND THEN. IT MIGHT ALSO LEAD TO NECK OR BACK PAIN. BED AFFECTS OUR PRODUCTIVITY NEGATIVELY, IT TENDS TO ERASE THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN WORK AND SLEEP.

4: WALK EVERY HALF AN HOUR & DRINK A GLASS OF WATER

STRETCHING YOUR BODY EVERY HALF AN HOUR IMPROVES THE BLOOD FLOW AND HELPS YOUR MUSCLES. MOREOVER, IF YOU’RE DEHYDRATED, IT CAN LEAD TO HEADACHES AND FATIGUE. JUST LIKE YOU USED TO KEEP WATER RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR DESK IN THE OFFICE, KEEP A WATER BOTTLE RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR HOME WORKING STATION. IF YOU HAVE WATER IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO DRINK IT. IT IS A SIMPLE HUMAN TENDENCY. WHEN TALKING ABOUT HYDRATING YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR-PACKED SODA AND JUICES. THE GOAL IS TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND NOT GET OBESE IN THE SHORT RUN.

5: EAT UNTIL YOU FEEL 80% FULL

JUST AS YOU PLAN YOUR OFFICE TASKS FOR THE DAY, YOU SHOULD ALSO SCHEDULE WHEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY YOU’LL BE EATING AND STICK TO IT. THE THING IS, WHEN WE’RE AT HOME WITH A REFRIGERATOR FULL OF DELICACIES, WE TEND TO GRAZE ALL DAY LONG. WHILE WORKING FROM HOME PEOPLE LOSE THE COUNT OF FOOD INTAKE. ONE OF THE BEST TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY AT WORK IS TO EAT UNTIL YOU FEEL 80% FULL. YOU SHOULD KEEP A CHECK ON YOUR DAILY CALORIE INTAKE. DO YOU KNOW IF YOU KEEP CONSUMING A MERE 500 EXTRA CALORIES EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK STRAIGHT, IT’LL LEAD TO A 0.5KG OF WEIGHT GAIN?

6: INCLUDE AT LEAST 2 VEGGIES EVERY DAY

INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO VEGETABLES EVERY DAY IN YOUR FOOD INTAKE CAN DO WONDERS FOR YOUR HEALTH. ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION BOOSTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND KEEPS YOU HEALTHY TOO. VEGGIES SUCH AS SPINACH, TOMATOES OR AVOCADO ARE RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS AND HELP SIGNIFICANTLY TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN ACTIVE. NOT JUST THAT, YOU’D SLEEP BETTER TOO, VEGETABLES PROMOTE HEALTHY CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS TOO. FILLED WITH FOLATE AND OTHER CRUCIAL VITAMINS, VEGETABLES BOOSTS YOUR METABOLISM AND YOU’LL HAVE MORE ENERGY TO TACKLE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL TASKS. WHEN YOU HAVE A VEGETABLE-RICH DIET, YOUR BODY GETS SUFFICIENT FIBER INTAKE. FIBER IS YOUR FRIEND! IT KEEPS YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS IN CHECK AND ALSO AIDS YOUR DIGESTION SIGNIFICANTLY.

7: STAY AWAY FROM FRIED SNACKS IN THE EVENING RATHER INCLUDE 1 FRUIT

ONE SHOULD KNOW THAT ONLY BALANCED AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD CAN CHURN PRODUCTIVITY OUT FROM US. WHEN YOU EAT A BALANCED DIET, IT KEEPS YOUR STOMACH FULL FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME WHILE HELPING YOU FOCUS ON THE WORK. WHAT WE EAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR ENERGY LEVELS AND OF COURSE, OUR MOOD. NEXT TIME YOU FEEL HUNGRY, TRY TO AVOID FRIED SNACKS AND RATHER HAVE FRUIT. FOCUS ON FIBER AND PROTEIN. YOU CAN CONSIDER PLANNING A MENU WHICH WILL SAVE YOU FROM CONFUSION AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO AVOID UNDESIRED EATABLES AT THAT VERY MOMENT.

8: HAVE A LIGHT DINNER AND DRINK WARM TURMERIC MILK BEFORE SLEEP

CONSUMING HEAVY DINNER AT NIGHT CAN BURDEN YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND CAN ALSO RESULT IN UNDESIRED WEIGHT GAIN. MOREOVER, WHEN YOUR STOMACH IS FULL IN THE NIGHT, YOU DON’T GET GOOD QUALITY SLEEP AND IT AFFECTS YOUR BODY MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. HAVING A LIGHT DINNER KEEPS YOUR STOMACH INTACT AND WOULD RELEASE RELAXATION HORMONES IN YOUR BODY WHEN YOU SLEEP. NOT JUST THAT, YOUR BODY WOULD ALSO STORE LESS FAT AND OPTIMIZE BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL. HAVING WARM TURMERIC MILK BEFORE YOU SLEEP ACTS AS A CATALYST FOR GOOD SLEEP. TURMERIC MILK CONTAINS AN AMINO ACID CALLED TRYPTOPHAN. WHEN CONSUMED WARM IN THE NIGHT, THE AMINO ACID HELPS YOU CALM THE MOOD AND RELAX.

9: USE WEEKENDS FOR YOUR ME TIME & FAMILY

TAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF IS VITAL. ALL WEEK LONG, YOU HAD PRIORITIZED YOUR PROFESSIONAL NEEDS BEFORE YOUR OWN. IT’S TIME FOR PAYBACK. USING YOUR WEEKENDS FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF CAN REDUCE STRESS SIGNIFICANTLY. IT REFRESHES YOUR INNER BATTERIES AND KEEPS YOU GOING. YOUR BRAIN GETS A REBOOT AND BECOMES MORE PRODUCTIVE. WORKING FROM THE MOMENT YOU WAKE UP AND UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU FALL ASLEEP IS NOT AT ALL HEALTHY. TAKING OUT TIME FOR YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH DURING THE WEEKENDS CAN HELP YOU GET BACK ON THE TRACK.

10: DON'T USE PHONE AN HOUR AFTER WAKING UP AND AN AFTER BEFORE SLEEPING

IT IS HIGHLY KNOWN THAT DISCONNECTION, LONELINESS AND ISOLATION ARE THE BIGGEST CONS OF REMOTE WORK LIFE. YOU SHOULD BE IN AMPLE TOUCH WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HOWEVER, USING THE PHONE AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP OR RIGHT BEFORE YOU’RE ABOUT TO SLEEP CAN CAUSE STRESS. IT SEVERELY AFFECTS YOUR QUALITY OF SLEEP. PEOPLE TEND TO USE THEIR PHONE BEFORE SLEEPING AND THEY END UP LOSING THE TRACK OF TIME. THE RESULT? WELL, YOU'RE SLEEPLESS. THE SAME IS IN THE MORNING. RATHER YOU SHOULD WAKE UP, FRESHEN UP AND HIT SOME EXERCISE. REMEMBER, YOUR BED SHOULD ONLY BE RESERVED FOR SLEEPING.

DON’T LET THE FAMILIARITY AND COMFORT OF YOUR HOME TAKE A TOLL ON EITHER YOUR HEALTH OR PRODUCTIVITY. ORGANIZING AND PROPER SCHEDULING YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL TASKS, ESTABLISHING A PHYSICAL ROUTINE IS YOUR KEY TO A HEALTHY HOME-WORK BALANCE. REMEMBER, NUTRITION FUELS FITNESS, EAT HEALTHY, WORK OUT AND STAY POSITIVE.