Skip to content
7 Simple Steps to Stay Healthy Working From Home
Many of us who juggle between working from home and having to home school our children face difficult daily challenges that require a lot of patience and stamina. Unlike parents who already worked from home before Covid, those parents who are new to this routine may find it much harder to set up a healthy routine that will work for the entire family.
Some may say working from home is easier than having to get up, dress up, commute and show up presentable and ready to work. In some ways, working from home has some advantages, and it’s a lot easier if your children are at school. But if you have a tight schedule and deadlines and have to overlook your children’s science project at the same time, things can get pretty stressful.
Despite all the challenges that we face daily, it’s essential to maintain good health, both physically and mentally.
But how on earth do we succeed in doing that with all that is going on?
These are our tried and tested 7 simple steps to stay healthy whilst working from home. Implement them into your routine whenever you can, even if you are sceptical about it.
Take breaks
One of the advantages of working from home is that you can get away from your desk whenever you feel like it. Taking breaks is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life/home-schooling balance. Get up and stretch, take often trips to the toilet without the fear of being watched, make some tea, stare out of the window and whatever you feel like doing to switch off from work completely. Then you can go back refreshed and start anew with a different mindset, energised and ready to conquer the world.
It works! Take as many breaks as you need to help you get your focus back.
Focus on the future
Nothing good ever happens from dwelling on the past. A healthy approach is to learn from your mistakes and try to move forward. Thinking about the future can help you be more productive and lead a more fulfilled life. Focusing on the future means planning, working towards the realisation of your dreams, goals and aspirations. We wrote a blog recently on “failure and what it teaches us” so have a read here if you are interested in this specifically.
People often set unrealistic goals, and when they realise they can’t reach them, they become disappointed and frustrated, which can be detrimental to their overall health. Instead, try to set realistic goals and focus on different ways to achieve them. We find that focusing on the future often brought amazing results for us.
Plan ahead
Working from home may be counterproductive for you if you don’t treat it as a professional job and act spontaneously. Don’t get us wrong, being spontaneous is okay sometimes, but not when you can’t deal with the consequences of spontaneity. And what works better and is more productive than being spontaneous is being prepared and to plan ahead.
Planning ahead means focusing on your future, and that, as we mentioned above, is a healthy approach to life. Start with simple planning like healthy meals for the day, which games to play with the kids, what clothes to wear today. You will see that with planning ahead things will become much easier.
Consider an accountability partner
Working from home can be distracting, especially if you don’t have a dedicated workspace. Home schooling three children in a small house literally screams chaos and stress. And not only that. There are one too many reasons to get easily distracted when working remotely, which is a recipe for zero productivity. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Finding a partner, friend, a group, or a coach that will hold you accountable (if you don’t do it yourself) is a good start to keep your sanity intact and productivity levels high.
Daily chats with your accountability partner to check on your progress, or sharing feedback every other day can be of vital importance to your wellbeing, and with that, the people you surround yourself with.
Learn how to deal with difficulties
Imagine this scenario: You are in your office and have been given a deadline with a very challenging task. You are really struggling, and you see your favourite co-worker doing nothing and ask them to help you out. They agree since they have some time before their project starts. And you are so relieved and can stopped stressing about it. Now imagine this same scenario at home. Who do you turn to for help? It takes a lot longer, having to explain everything to your co-worker. Feeling pressured doesn’t help either.
If you want to know more on what your rights are when working from home, read our blog Working-parents-during-lockdown-know-your-legal-rights
Take a breather. Step away from your desk and go turn the kettle on. Put a load in the washer or anything that will take your mind off the challenging task, even for a moment. You will notice that you will have a different approach to the problem when you go back to your desk with a clear mind.
Make the most of technology apps
During a normal day in the office, you would see your co-workers whenever you need and want to, working from home makes social interaction almost impossible. But, technology apps make working from home a lot easier. Most companies use messaging platforms or video conferencing apps like Slack and Zoom for work-related matters. Another great thing about working from home is that you can use Facebook or WhatsApp to check on your friends and family without the fear of being watched by your boss.
In this age of technology, everything is within reach. If you feel stuck and stressed, you can play your favourite song on YouTube and continue working while listening to music. Listening to music is known as a great tool to relieve stress.
Outsource
If you feel overwhelmed by the zillion projects you have going on with tight deadlines, outsourcing could be the answer. Hiring a third-party can help you complete the job a lot faster, in a more efficient way and at a lower cost too. Whilst outsourcing may also have some disadvantages, it may be a game-changer. Learn about the risks and benefits of outsourcing that can affect your business before testing the waters.
On more about working from home, you can read our other blogs.
If you have questions on any legal matters, we will always help, so do not hesitate to contact us.
