Many people see working at home as the “ultimate freedom,” but sometimes that freedom can come at a price. When everything you might need during the day is only a room or two away, it can be easy to become a bit sedentary. Luckily, a few simple changes to your daily routine can help make sure that your home office is a healthy environment.
Get Up and Get Dressed
While the idea of working in your pajamas might sound appealing in theory, skipping normal wake-up routines allows your body to retain that “blah” feeling you might wake up with. Instead of opting for the lazy option, set out some work clothes before you go to bed, and force yourself to stick to a routine every morning. Shower, get dressed in real clothes, have some breakfast – when you perform actions that tell your body that it’s time to get up and get ready, you can bet your body will listen.
Set Work Hours
You often hear that the dream is to “set your own hours,” but the reality is that many people who work from home quickly look past that and dive headfirst into “I’ll get to it when I get to it.” This can lead to tons of wasted time and opportunities, not to mention late-night crunch sessions and missed deadlines. Instead of taking such a freeform approach, set hours for yourself and stick to them as if you had a grouchy boss watching your every move. Get up on time and get working, but also make sure that you set a stopping time and stick to that as well. Just because you COULD technically work until midnight and then fall into bed doesn’t mean you should.
Get Out of Your Office
When “stopping by the office” means a 30-second walk and not a 30-minute commute, the urge to hole up all day at your desk can be strong. Unfortunately, that’s about as healthy for you as sitting in a cubicle all day is, so you need to make sure you’re taking regular breaks and stepping outside, even if it’s for only long enough to keep the neighbors from labeling you a hermit. Take a walk outside once every hour or so – the fresh air will revitalize you, and the vitamin D you’ll get from the sun will help keep your immune system in prime condition!
Eat Healthy
One of the worst traps we can fall into when we work from home is the trap of having constant access to a fridge full of goodies with nobody around to judge us. A jaunt to the fridge a few times a day for a TV dinner or some ice cream can cause our health to spiral out of control. While one way to solve the problem would be to keep giving into this temptation until you’re too fat to make the trip back and forth, a more fitting solution would be to stock your refrigerator with healthy alternatives for when hunger strikes. Cut up vegetables, fresh fruit, some pre-made healthy lunches and plenty of water will make your trips to the kitchen a good thing, and give you the energy to finish your work!
Exercise
The path of the work-from-home entrepreneur can sometimes turn into bed, kitchen table, desk chair, kitchen table, bed, rinse, repeat. With a job outside the house, at the very least you’re walking to and from your office, taking lunch breaks, attending meetings, and generally doing things that involve some kind of movement. For the at-home business person, maintaining a certain level of exercise is an important rule to stick to. Even some light stretching in the morning and afternoon, combined with your outside walks, will keep your fitness at an acceptable level.
What do you do to stay healthy when working from home? Add to our list by commenting below!
