Staying Healthy While Working Remotely
Working remotely means that you will need to take an active role in preserving your health. Today, we will show you how.
Due to so many people now working remotely, it is vital to start cultivating healthy habits as soon as possible. Many studies show that remote employees are much more productive than those working in the office. But your health should not suffer because of your productivity.
The usual office banter, such as talking to a coworker passing by your desk, are not there when you work from your home. While you might view that as a distraction, the truth is that activities like this can help give your mind a much-needed break, which is likely to improve your health.
If you work remotely, you have to take a more active role in taking care of your health at work. In this post, we will share tips on how you can stay healthy while working remotely.
Keep in mind that these tips hail from my personal experience and that I'm not a doctor nor a health professional.
Pick a Good Chair
If you will be spending 8+ sitting in a chair, it needs to be right on your back. A lousy chair could lead to aches in your back, which could affect your work and overall well-being.
You need to invest in an ergonomic chair that will give you enough lumbar support and minimize back pain. Many companies are open to providing their employees with allowance that will cover the cost of equipment and office supplies.
Get Ready as If You Were Going to the Office
While it is easy to work in your regular clothes, dressing professionally for work will put your mind in a different state. It could affect your productivity, how other people perceive you, and you will be more compliant with the company's culture.
You should not wear an entirely professional outfit like a suit. A casual shirt will most likely be sufficient. Whatever you decide to wear, make sure it is both comfortable for you to wear and on a professional-enough level for your company.
Log Your Time
Most remote workers tend to overwork themselves and take more work than they have time in the day. This leads to stress, overwork, and potentially burnout.
To ensure this does not happen to you, you should measure the time it takes you to do your work so that you can more precisely schedule your work and not overwork yourself in the future.
You can measure your time using a time tracker like Insightful. Insightful can also help you with monitoring work from home employees, an essential feature for all remote managers, and those managing remote workers.
Monitoring work from home employees enables you to get an overview of what your team does at work and exactly how they are spending their work time. This feature also works on your account, allowing you to plan your workday even more efficiently.
Make Time for Yourself
It is easy to get lost in your work, which is why you need scheduled time away from it. Not working will keep you sane.
As a remote worker, you need to set a working schedule and stick to it. The rest of your day should be spent away from work, relaxing, or doing something completely unrelated to work, enjoying your free time.
In addition to sitting in a comfortable chair, you should also regularly stretch and take walks to help relax your back and mind.
Workout Regularly
People who exercise regularly have more energy and feel better. The more energy you have, the more productive you can be. As a remote worker, if you invest a little effort and time every day in fitness, it should be enough of a boost to make you more productive.
For some people, it may seem that it is easier to work out when you work from the office, usually due to the closeness of the gym to the office, or maybe that one work-friend that works out with them.
If that is the case with you, you can try and find a gym that is closer to your home so that you can work out right before or after work. Or you could join a group training session so that you do not train alone.
Whatever the case is, you should move if you want to improve your health. The first step is likely going to be hard, but the longer you do it, the easier it will become.
Conclusion
While remote work can be beneficial for both the company and the employee, it can also take a toll on one's health. It is ultimately up to you to come up with a routine that works for your specific situation.
Once you find what works for you and stick to it, it should not be a problem to improve your health, boost your productivity, and give you a better sense of well-being.