25th March 2020
‘Health and well-being’ was a hot topic before the Covid 19 pandemic. It is now a priority. Due to the outbreak, many people are now remote working full-time for the first time, isolated from co-workers, friends and family. In a climate where we must stay home to protect ourselves and those around us, our ‘commute’ to work is now walking down the stairs or across the hall to work from a desk.
Here are our top tips to keep yourself grounded into staying healthy and well while working from home.
1) Separate your work life from private life
Working from home will make it harder for you to separate the two. Make sure you have a dedicated workspace that will lend itself to a feeling of “going to work” and you can leave at what would have been your ‘home time’. It is also a good idea to set boundaries within your home, so that your family members understand when you are at work.
It can also be very tempting to work more while you are home and get carried away into the evening without realising. This can be taxing on your health and well-being, so stick to a schedule with healthy boundaries.
2) Eat Well
Working from home means you are in a closer proximity to your fridge or your snack cupboard and your eating schedule of 3 square meals a day may start to look a bit more fluid.
To avoid overindulging in chocolate and treats try to keep to the same weekday routine, ensuring you eat a good breakfast before starting your day. If you would usually make your lunches for the week on a Sunday evening or the night before, continue to do so and when you are eating, remember to eat away from your desk.
During this unprecedented time, it is vital to keep your immune system strong so taking vitamins and staying hydrated is important.
3) Get Outdoors (If not self-isolating)
While we engage in stricter social distancing, it is still possible to get out and get some fresh air – the garden counts. Instead of going onto social media during your lunch hour which may trigger or elevate anxiety, stress or panic, take yourself out for a brisk walk and get those endorphins increased! (Remember to maintain the recommended 6-foot distance with others and one walk a day).
It is also good to remember to take regular breaks away from your home desk – it is too easy to get lost in your screen. Set an alarm on your phone for every 20-30mins and step away, stretch, move around your home and make a hot drink, come back and re-focus.
4) Online Videos & Tutorials
While our favourite gyms and fitness centres are closed during this time, many are offering free live streams or app-based workouts for members and the general public, so check online to see what’s available!
If you are trying to avoid social media and remain focused, using Meditation videos, Online Beginners Yoga classes or online exercise videos can be a great way to keep you healthy in body and mind while working remotely. If you need to brush up on some of your day to day work skills, why not get stuck into a good tutorial for the last hour of the day. This will help you up-skill at your own leisure.
5) Stay Connected
For many of you, this is your first time working from home for a long period of time and it can become quite physical isolation doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself in every aspect. When you’re at work, you’re more likely to engage with colleagues but when you’re working from home, you could spend the whole day without speaking to anyone which can be isolating.
Keep in touch with colleagues throughout the day via text messaging and video calling apps. You could even have a virtual coffee or lunch break!
To really switch off from work mode, why not call a relative or friend and have a good catch up!
