Working from home has become the new normal and the truth is that some of our jobs may never return to the office.
While working from home indefinitely comes with its perks, like increased freedom and flexibility, working in your pajamas, and avoiding traffic-filled commutes, working remotely also poses some challenges.
If you are the parent of a child who is learning from home, you may be frequently summoned to provide remote learning assistance. Or if your schedule is dominated by virtual meetings, you may have a difficult time stepping away from the computer.
On top of the lifestyle changes that remote work has introduced, our personal health and fitness journeys have been equally as impacted.
When your at-home work space is in walking distance to your fridge, snacking becomes far more frequent, and without a commute or a spacious office to take advantage of, chances are you aren’t moving enough. The list goes on and on.
All in all, working from home can be a catalyst for bad behaviors. If this sounds like something you have fallen victim to, check out the 4 tips below to ensure that your remote work culture is healthy and sustainable.
- Mandate Movement
Block out time for movement throughout your work day. Incorporating a walk outside, a full body stretch, or a quick online workout into your day is a great way to get your body moving during your working hours.
- Change into “Work Clothes”
Working from home has a tremendous impact on your mental health and makes it increasingly difficult to separate work from home. While it may seem silly, changing into the clothes that you would typically wear to a work may help you disassociate your living space from your work space, even if your environment is not physically changing. At the end of your work day, change out of your clothes to signify a switch back into your life outside of work.
- Restrict Constant Snacking
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks. If eating here and there is dominating your remote work, don’t hesitate to be strict with yourself. Restrict snacking in whatever way works best for you, whether that be leaving sticky notes on the pantry door or reminding yourself of healthier options when you jump to your not so healthy mid-day craving.
- Set Boundaries
Before remote work was the norm, our physical working environment created boundaries. Our office was physically separated by a commute, which literally separated work from home. Don’t be afraid to recreate the boundaries that you need in your current space. Maybe this means logging off at a specific time or creating windows of time that family members can interrupt. Implement whatever boundaries you need to best serve you!