Enterprise Technology Research says that people permanently working from their homes will double in number in 2021. Meanwhile, Upwork predicts that 1 in 4 Americans will find working from home more convenient this year.
Unfortunately, remote work often translates to more relaxed attitudes about healthy living. Removing office-related stresses can lead to better mental health.
However, you should still not be too complacent about staying healthy even when you are at home working. Here are 15 tips to keep yourself healthy at home even while working:
1. Wash and Sanitize Your Hands
Washing your hands with soap is the simplest and most effective way to keep yourself healthy and lower the risk of infections. Sanitizing your hands with alcohol can further improve your disease protection. You can reduce your risk of diarrhea by up to 40% just by hand-washing alone. Moreover, you also get fewer incidences of respiratory illnesses. It can ensure your work-at-home productivity.
2. Ensure a Good Night’s Sleep
The Mayo Clinic suggests that adults should have seven to nine hours of sleep. It would be best to stick to a regular bedtime schedule, such as going to bed at nine. In addition, removing any distractions from the bedroom can help you fall asleep faster. It should help your body and mind recharge and replenish all resources lost during the day. This in turn helps you to keep yourself healthy at home.
3. More Water, Please!
Everyone knows how essential water is to our health, but the eight glasses of water we have all heard are never enough. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men need about 101 ounces of water every day. On the other hand, women should drink about 70 ounces. It will never hurt to drink more fluids as you work from home.
4. Try Yoga or Meditation
Working from home frees you from office-related stress. However, things can also get boring because of monotonous activities. Give yourself a respite from the tension that may build up from working at home. Meditating for five minutes or doing yoga for fifteen minutes a day should give you a fresh perspective about things.
5. Ditch The Coffee
Although coffee has some undisputed health benefits, having it while you’re always at home during a pandemic may not be a good idea. One reason is it may keep you awake at night, which can lead to sleep deprivation. But if you really can’t get away with coffee as your daily fix, keep it at a minimum of 1 cup a day, preferably taken in the morning. Trust me, you don’t want to have too much coffee in your system.
6. Lift Improvised Weights
Sitting behind your work table for extended hours can soften your muscles, making them lose their powerful characteristics. Lifting weights improves muscle tone and strength. It allows you to do things other than work from home. You can substitute your dumbbell with a stack of books or a bucket of water to stimulate your muscles.
7. Keep Learning
Just as your muscles need regular conditioning, so does your brain. Learning a skill not only improves your cognitive abilities. It can also sharpen your hand-eye coordination and spatial skills. You can cook a new recipe or embark on a small home improvement project. You will feel more empowered and healthy just by adding a new skill every week.
8. Schedule a Naptime
Did you know that taking 10 to 20-minute naps can improve your job performance by up to 34 percent? A NASA study also showed that 26 minutes of naptime can improve alertness by as much as 54%. If NASA astronauts find nap times helpful, you should also incorporate them into your daily routine.
9. Increase Fiber Intake
Eating whole grains, fruits, legumes, and vegetables can lower your risk of colorectal cancer and heart diseases. It can also help regulate your blood sugar and reduce your cholesterol levels. Snacking on celery sticks or carrot munchies while working at home should keep you healthy and more productive.
10. Mind Your Salt and Sugar
As enticing ice creams and candies are, you should cut down on your sugar intake. Our carbohydrate metabolism is less efficient as we grow old. The same is true with our kidneys’ ability to regulate salt. If you want to stay healthy while working at home, try limiting your salt and sugar intake. You will reduce your heart disease and kidney disease risk.
11. Give Your Eyes a Break
Working from home has its perks. Unfortunately, you will be spending more time in front of your computer screen. You might think that wearing anti-blue light eyeglasses can help. Unfortunately, it does not. Give your eyes a five-minute break from your computer screen every two hours. It should be enough to keep your eyes as healthy as possible.
12. No Blue Light Before Calling it a Night
Are you having a difficult time adhering to your bedtime schedule? Maybe you still have digital screens in front of your eyes. Studies show that blue light can suppress melatonin, the hormone that puts you to sleep. As such, if you want to go to bed early, turn off all digital devices and blue light-emitting appliances. You will sleep faster this way.
13. Try Your Hand at Gardening
Working from home gives you the power to decide when to accomplish your tasks. In one of your long breaks, try your hand at gardening. You can grow herbs and vegetables to use in your nutritious meals. You will feel more invigorated, too. Your stress and anxieties melt away, and your heart feels healthier, too.
14. Do Your Household Chores Manually Once a Week
Everyone has an electric appliance that can make it convenient to perform a household chore. If you want to stay healthy at home, you might want to ditch one of these conveniences. Wash your clothes manually instead of a washing machine. In addition, you can give your smart vacuum cleaner a rest, and vacuum your floor the old-fashioned way.
15. Bask in the Sunshine
Morning sunshine can do a lot of good things for you. It can stimulate your body’s natural Vitamin D production to strengthen your bones. It can also improve serotonin and endorphin release. Moreover, you will improve your mood and get you ready to work the whole day at home.
16. Prepare Your Own Meals from Scratch
Healthy eating requires control of ingredients. Cooking your meals from scratch gives you absolute control over the ingredients. Replace unhealthy versions with more nutritious options. This will ensure optimum health for you and your family. It would be best to include one from each major food group for a well-balanced meal.
There are many ways you can stay healthy while working at home. These 15 helpful tips should give you a general idea of what else you can do to stay healthy at home. They can also help you remain productive in the comforts of your home.
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