5 Tips To Help You Keep Healthy While Working From Home
With COVID-related government restrictions in place, working from home has become a new reality for many. Along with this new reality which has shifted our work habits, comes various new challenges, along with a handful of perks.
In addition to financial services recruitment, I’m also a certified personal trainer and in this article, I’ll share with you five simple suggestions I use in my own personal life to stay mentally, physically and emotionally healthy while working from home.
1. Start your morning the right way
One of the perks of working from home includes the instant commute to work (home), which is almost as good as being able to teleport! However, rather than rolling out of bed five minutes before starting work, why not put the extra time saved to good use? Having a simple morning routine can put your mind and body in a peak state to conquer the day.
Here’s a morning routine that works for me. Feel free to try it on, tailor it, and work out what fits you best. The moment I wake up, I put on a guided meditation, sit up and meditate in bed. In this process, I visualise my goals, what I’m grateful for and my perfect day. I have 10 sips of water before heading outside for a morning walk, jog or outdoor workout. This helps increase my metabolism, release endorphins and boosts my overall mood. I have a cold shower (better than a coffee), followed by a nutritious breakfast to fuel my morning.
2. Have a dedicated work focus zone
Working from home can be distracting. It’s important to be able to switch into work mode, and just as importantly, switch out of it. Rather than working from random places such as your bedroom or couch, have a dedicated work zone in a section of your home. Ensure its ergonomically set up and free of clutter. When you enter this space, you have teleported to work. Say hello to your imaginary colleagues (or real ones on Zoom), put your head down and focus!
If you struggle to switch off from work, working from home does not help. I like to log off, shake the hands of my imaginary colleagues, say goodbye and actually walk out the front door of my apartment. I’ll then turn around, walk back in and greet my partner after a long day at work.
3. Move and hydrate every hour
The human body is not designed to sit down all day long. To improve your mental health, avoid tight muscles, bad posture and potential back issues, set an alarm every hour to get up and move. Motion creates emotion and can help you stay productive. Give yourself 30 seconds for a short burst of cardio (or any exercise), have a quick stretch, 10 sips of water, then get back to your focus zone. You may also choose to have a standing desk and switch between sitting and standing every 30 to 60 minutes.
4. Get back to nature
It can be almost too easy to slip into a routine of eating lunch at your desk while replying to emails or even worse, skipping lunch altogether. Before you know it, the sun’s gone down and you haven’t even left the house. Make it a ritual to go outside and get some fresh air, even if it’s for five minutes. Getting back to nature does not require a two-hour road trip. Take your shoes off and walk barefoot on the grass. Close your eyes and enjoy the sun shining on your face.
5. Seek support
We all have our good and bad days. If you find yourself going through a difficult time or having any mental health challenges, no matter how big or small, make sure you speak to someone. Speak to a friend, family member, colleague or manager. There may be an Employee Assistance Program available, or for immediate support, you can reach out to an organisation such as Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. Trained mental health professionals are available 24 hours a day and all calls are confidential.
Congratulations, you have now made it to the part where you get to make the active choice to apply what you’ve just read. I’m going to encourage you right now, to pull out a pen and write down one new habit that you can implement today!
As the saying goes, it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle. Rather than focusing on 90 days, my advice is to give yourself and 5 or 10-day challenge. Every mountain is climbed one step at a time. If you can do one week, you can do two and so on. Remember, finding what works for you is important. Don’t overwhelm yourself by throwing in a bunch of new habits at once. Just add one or two new things to your 5 day challenge each week and keep building on it!
Kaizen Recruitment specialises financial services recruitment across funds management, wealth management, superannuation, investment consulting and insurance. We are based in Melbourne and Sydney. For assistance or further information please telephone our office at +61 3 9095 7157 or submit an online form.
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