Health Tips for Working From Home
Working from home is a new normal for many of us. With the idea that working from home is going to be more permanent, it is important that we set up routines and habits that help promote a healthy balance between work and life.
These tips for working at home will help you to stay balanced and give you the ability to prioritize your and your family’s health and happiness while still being productive.
Daily Routines
Stick to a normal sleep schedule - this will help you to stay energized day in and day out.
Getting a pair of blue light glasses to protect your eyes from additional screen time and protect circadian rhythm will be helpful in keeping up your routine. (See more about blue light glasses here)
Have a regular “daytime” routine that you keep and is similar each day. Wake up around the same time, eat you meals in the same time, take break from works around the same time.
Working from home, we lose our commute from the office. This time helps us to “shut down” or process the day. Leaving your work space and walking into the kitchen leaves room for feeling overloaded and not fully shutting down from work day before family time, try a walk around the block or a quick trip to the backyard from some fresh air before moving on to making dinner or any other chores at home.
Dress for Success
Continue to get dressed each day. When you look good you feel good! (at least from the top up!)
Continue to Move
Standing desks, treadmill desks, or exercise balls for chairs are simple ways to help you to stay active in a time where steps are even more limited without walking to meetings or other spaces in the office.
Plan walk breaks or other movement breaks into your day as if they were meetings. Write those appointments and keep them. For some ideas of workouts to do at home - check out my FREE Home Workout Guide!
Prioritize Tasks
Make a to-do list- each day! Have your top 3 tasks that need to be done that day and be accountable to them. Writing things down helps, so put your goals for the day on a sticky on your desk.
Create a Productive Environment
It is very important to create a designated workspace. Working from home can easily become something that infringes on your home life. Help keep work separate by creating a space where you only do work.
Keep this designated work space clean and clear! Organize your desk and tools and keep your area free of distractions.
Keep Boundaries
Set expectations with family members for what your work time is. Set a plan for how to get a hold of each other or learn each other’s schedules in a way that will not interrupt your work day. You might keep a sign on your door when you are in a meeting or post up your schedule to be viewed.
Stick to your regular hours- I struggle here! Just because you aren’t in an office doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to let things linger or work “more or anytime.” Know when you are most productive and keep work time in that space. When that time is up - you are OFF of work!
Start by choosing one or two tips to try a week until you have added them all into your daily work from home routine.