The pandemic has led to the prevalence of remote working. When we are staying back at home, our lifestyle can become even more sedentary than it used to be during office times. We are likely to spend a lot of time sitting and shouldering our professional responsibilities and then end up relaxing on the couch after work. But, as a sedentary lifestyle is not suitable for our health, we must resist all such temptations and devote some time every day towards ensuring our good health. Otherwise, a sedentary lifestyle may expose us to various physical and mental health troubles in the long run.
Now, here are some simple, easy, and useful tips to help you maintain optimal well-being while working from home. Believe me, if you try to implement these tips in your daily life, you’ll benefit your health and feel good about yourself.
Seven useful tips to maintain optimal well-being:
1. Try getting up from your work desk after every hour:
Sitting continuously for long periods is bad for our health. According to health experts, It can lead to several health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, and high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol. So, we mustn’t keep sitting on our work desk continuously for extended periods. As a rule of thumb, you can try to get up from your work desk after every hour and take a quick walk for 10 minutes if possible. Further, if you are in the middle of some urgent work and can’t take a short walk, you should try to do your work while standing at your desk for 15 minutes and then, you may sit again. This way, you can ensure that you don’t keep sitting on your desk continuously.
2. Take some time out for exercise:
Exercise is crucial for our well-being, not only physical but also mental. Firstly, let’s discuss some of the significant physical health benefits of exercise. It reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes and reduces cholesterol levels. Now, coming to the mental health benefits of exercise, it enhances the secretion of happy hormones like Serotonin and Dopamine in the body, which bring a reduction in the levels of stress hormone Cortisol and thus, help in stress management. So, because of the immense physical and mental health benefits of exercise, you should try to take some time out for a good workout session. You can either schedule it before or after work, as per your comfort level but try to spend at least 30 minutes exercising every day.
3. Stay connected with your friends and try to walk as you talk:
When working from home, we do not get much time to socialize. This makes us likely to feel isolated, which can hurt our emotional and mental well being over time. To prevent this from happening, you must stay connected with your friends through voice or video calls. Even if you spend 5 to 10 minutes interacting with your friends daily, it will significantly help you. Further, as you interact with your friends, try to walk as you talk. This will help you stay physically active and keep your health in fine fettle.
4. Spend some time in nature:
As a remote worker, you are likely to spend most of your time indoors. But, this is not at all good for your well-being. It can trigger insomnia, anxiety, depression and also lead to premature aging of the skin. To prevent yourself from getting exposed to any of these troubles, you should try to spend some time outdoors, in the lap of nature, every day. Believe me, as you start spending your time in close vicinity of nature, slowly it will become your favorite time of the day. You’ll eventually become more optimistic about life, your stress levels will remain lower, and your happiness levels will increase.
5. Keep yourself hydrated and try to go and refill your water bottle on your own:
Up to 60% of our body is water. The magic liquid of life- water performs many essential functions in our body. Regulating body temperature, aiding in digestion, carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, and lubricating joints are some of them. If we are not well hydrated, our body cannot quickly and adequately carry out these critical functions. So, we must stay hydrated. According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, you should drink at least 15.5 cups of fluid every day if you are a male and 11.5 cups if you are a female.
Further, when we are staying back at home, we are likely to feel lazy. As a result, we may procrastinate on having water until we are incredibly thirsty. But, this is not at all good for the body. Thus, you should try to drink water right away as you start feeling thirsty. Moreover, try to bring water for yourself on your own whenever you feel thirsty. This will help you stay physically active throughout the day and support your well-being.
6. Make meditation an integral part of your life:
Professional life is stressful. It doesn’t matter whether you are working from home or in the office; getting exposed to work stress is natural. As high-stress levels can lead to physical health troubles over time like migraines and high blood pressure, it is crucial to work on stress management. For this, one of the best things to do is to meditate. It is a proven technique that works wonders in reducing stress, inducing a state of inner calm, and improving mood. You should try to make meditation an integral part of your life. Even if you meditate for 15 to 20 minutes a day, it will benefit you. Further, you don’t have to join any meditation classes to learn to practice this excellent stress reduction technique. Today, there are different types of guided meditation videos available on YouTube. You can play them and meditate along in the comfort of your home.
7. Don’t compromise on sleep:
Sleep is vital for your physical and mental well-being to stay physically active. It reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, gives your body the time to repair its damaged tissues and cells, and reduces stress. So, we must take adequate amounts of sleep every day. As healthy adults, our body needs at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. But, when we are staying back at home, we are likely to stay up till late at night, spending time on things like social media, movies, reading books, or doing other things like that and compromising our sleep. However, as discussed above, this is not good for our well-being. Therefore, you should try not to compromise on your sleep.
Health is our real wealth. It should be the prime focus of our life, but as the prevalence of remote working has made our lifestyle more sedentary than ever, our well-being is under threat. To maintain our health in the long run, we must start working on our well-being right now. The tips mentioned earlier are dedicated to help you with the same. I wish you All the very best and healthy life ahead!
About the Author:
Jessica Robinson loves to write interesting and knowledgeable blogs regarding business management, education and life to satiate the curiosity of her lovely readers. Currently, she is serving as a content manager at the ‘Speaking Polymath’. Every piece of content that she writes demonstrates her immense love and passion for her profession.
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