Maintaining Personal Health in the Remote Work Era Working from home will give you more freedom and new challenges when it comes to your wellbeing.
By Tanveer Zafar Edited by Ryan Droste
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There has been a massive shift in the way work is done over the last two years. Millions across the world have embraced the remote work system, choosing to forgo the traditional office space and instead work from home.
The remote work revolution has been impressive for many reasons. Most prominent of all is the fact that it has made many companies understand that they don't necessarily need employees in their offices to be productive. Thanks to advancements in communication and collaboration technology, colleagues can work from pretty much anywhere and still get the job done.
As a result of this, companies have been able to save a lot of money that would otherwise have gone towards office space purchases and retouching. Much of that money can now be reinvested into other promising endeavors.
Related: Should You Bring Employees Back to the Office?
However, remote work also comes with its own drawbacks. Most prominent is the effect it can take on your health. When you don't have to go to work every day, your entire life is essentially confined to your house or where you choose to work from. And while it might be fun at the start, remote work can indeed weigh on you and your health.
This is why it is important to ensure that your health is optimized. If you're struggling with this, there are several easy ways to incorporate a healthier lifestyle into your daily remote work schedule.
The diet takes prominence
More often than not, good health starts with what you consume, so it goes without saying that building the right eating schedule will go a long way to help you optimize your health.
According to research from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a healthy diet prioritizes foods, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. The institute also recommends limiting foods that have high salt and sugar content while focusing on beans, eggs, fish and lean meat.
While you build the right feeding structure, it is also important to not skip meals. This can be difficult, especially considering the distractions that tend to occur when we work remotely. However, you can always find healthy snacks that will help you to stay healthy and filled while you work.
Related: The Entrepreneur's Diet for Success and Brain-Boosting Performance
Setting your workspace up
One of the biggest challenges for most people who work from home is finding the right workspace to handle all tasks. This can be especially challenging if your home wasn't initially set up for work.
The Centers for Disease Control describe the ideal office chair as one that offers seat height and armrests so you can lay your feet flat on the ground. Your knees and hips should bend at about a 90-degree angle — although standing slightly above this is also fine. Be sure to get a chair that supports your posture and allows your back's curvature to be maintained.
Your computer should also be placed at arm's length, with the monitor's top just a little below your eye level.
Having the right setup in your home will help you maximize productivity by reducing stress and easing most of the pressure from your body.
Related: Establishing Your Home Workspace
Exercise is key as well
We all talk about exercise and the fact that it offers several physical and psychological benefits to the average person. Now that we have the time and are at home, it's important that we do more to incorporate exercise into our lifestyles. Instead of wasting so much time commuting to work, you could easily replace that with a simple exercise routine that keeps your body and mind engaged.
A simple walk around your area could do your body a world of good. At the same time, apps like Unimeal can help you build workout plans that optimize wellness.
Besides working out, you should also remember to be active all through the day. Walk around during phone calls, set reminders to do a few pushups every now and then, and make the effort to move your body around more often.
If you can, use a standing desk instead of a sitting one to make sure your body remains active.
Related: Exercise Is One Thing Most Successful People Do Everyday
Keep that work-life balance
One common issue that most people who work from home experience is the blurring of the lines between their jobs and home lives. When we used to go to the office, there was something called a closing time when you were able to leave work and go home and essentially shut everything down. Now, there's no such thing.
Due to this, it is important that you set proper boundaries for work. Do all you can to distinguish between your work life and your life at home, and make sure to keep to these boundaries as much as you can.
The American Health Information Management Association recommends using some of the same rules that applied when we used to go to work. From lunch breaks to morning breaks and other cuts, you have the time to attend to other things that require your attention during the day.
