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Raise your hand if you or someone you knows has to work from home because of COVID. Ok, everyone reading that last sentence can put down their hands. LOL Seems like working from home is now more the norm than not. Many people work from home, not only because of the recent pandemic but because home-working can accommodate a variety of lifestyles. A lot of parents decide to work from home because they can more easily care for the needs of their families, and some people work from home because they can fit the activities they enjoy around their work schedule.
If you’re somebody who works from home, you probably already understand some of the benefits of this type of work setup. However, while some of these benefits can be attributed to better health – no stressful commutes, for example – there can also be negatives where health is concerned.
Check out these self-care tips for when working from home.
#1: Stick to a sleep schedule
It can be easy to burn the candle at both ends when working from home. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know about my insomnia and lack of having a sleep schedule. I know this affects my mental health and physical help. But it is so important to have a sleep schedule if you don’t suffer from insomnia or other issues. Be sure to speak with your doctor if this is something you are facing any sleep problems. It could also be a sign of sleep apnea which is a serious medical problem.
If you have deadlines to meet you might decide to work into the early hours , and you might also get up extra early if you have a lot of work to do.
On the flip side, you might decide to stay longer in bed if you have no urgent need to climb out from under your duvet.
In each case, your health can be affected. Both lack of sleep and oversleeping can affect your energy levels and cause you to feel groggy during the day. You might also experience the effects of exhaustion if you don’t get enough sleep. If tiredness affects your work, you might experience stress too.
So, be mindful. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, be sure to try to get the recommended 8-hours sleep a night, and protect your health in the process.
#2: Protect your body while working
There’s a reason why your parents used to tell you to stop slouching! It was for the greater good of your back and neck health. There’s also a reason why they told you to take time away from your screens. It was to protect your eye health. But when working from home, you might go against this wise advice.
If your office chair isn’t ergonomic, you might slouch while working. And if you’re forever glued to your computer, you could impact your eye health if you’re forever staring at the screen. Your health will also suffer if you are sat in one position for much of the day. Be sure to get up from your desk at least every 30 minutes. Otherwise you could be increasing your risk of death. Yes, it’s a life and death thing for realz; crazy right?!
To protect your health, consider purchasing an ergonomic chair for your home office. Give your eyes a rest regularly too and exercise your body at intervals to reduce sedentary health problems. It could help you feel better, and you won’t have to hear your parents saying “I told you so.” LOL
#3: Eat healthy
If you have deadlines to meet, you might be tempted to eat a quick and unhealthy snack instead of a healthy lunch. You might also skip breakfast if you start work early during the day. And if you are busy throughout the day, you might decide to order delivery or drivethru. And don’t even get me started about being too tired to cook at night and just grazing or relying on PB&Js or frozen dinners or just a giant bag of chips for every meal. Don’t judge or am I the only person in the world who has polished off a bag of chips? Ok, find judge. LOL
Your health will suffer if you don’t make time to eat healthily so avoid falling into any bad habits. Follow these tips on eating healthily while working from home to ensure better health and better productivity.
#4: Get dressed and get out
Something my mom taught me at a young age was making my bed. I was probably 3 when I first started to try to make it up in the morning. The reason? If you make your bed each morning, you have already accomplished something with barely even being awake. It’s a mental thing that helps boast your mind and weirdly your self esteem.
I also realized over the years of being a stay at home mom/blog owner that I need to get dressed each day. It’s tempting to stay in my PJs but that puts me in a lounging mode. It’s strange how what I’m wearing can have an affect on my mood and motivation. It also affects whether I wait as long as possible to actually get out of my house. My neighbor and I were chatting the other day; she works 8-5 hours from home. She mentioned that she hadn’t gotten out of her house for 3 days straight when her work from home job first started and realized she had to schedule in her planner to leave her home so she wouldn’t go crazy like The Shining “Here’s Johnny” and all. Self-care isn’t just what you eat and how you sit or stand, taking care of yourself also includes getting out and about and trading in fuzzy slippers for street shoes.
Working from home has so many benefits but be sure you are keeping up with your health. It’s such a blessing to get to work from home but remember it’s good to still have structure and self-care when you are by yourself all day. These care tips when working from home can help you get on the track.
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If you are feeling down or depressed for more days than not, please seek medical attention. If you are feeling like you cannot go on, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or chat here>>> https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Or visit the suicide prevention lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
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