Work from Home-How to Keep Your Body & Mind Healthy

Working from home comes with some pretty incredible benefits. No more sitting in rush-hour traffic. No more small talk at the coffee machine (oh and speaking of that no more gross office coffee… yuck!). No more feeling stressed about walking in late to that 9am meeting. And in my own personal opinion, getting to work from the comfort of my bed is pretty cool.

But working from home does come with its own set of unique challenges. Often times making it easier for us to fall into bad habits that can affect us both mentally and physically. I learned this first hand once I started working from home. I quickly realized I was creating some unhealthy habits for myself due to my new work environment.

Today I’m going to share a few simple ways to make sure you keep up with your mental and physical health while working remotely

Stick to a Routine

Many people struggle with working from home due to lack of routine. If you aren’t getting up to go anywhere, it can be easy to choose unhealthy activities over healthier alternatives. When we have a deadline, it makes it much easier to stick to a routine. We know we have a limited amount of time to get certain tasks done before heading out the door. Deadlines keep us on track.

For example, it can be pretty tempting to wake up minutes before that 9am call and just hop on. But is this really setting you up for the most successful day?

Working from home shouldn’t be an excuse to forgo healthy habits. Actually it can be far easier to create a healthy morning routine when you work from home. No longer commuting to the office automatically gives you the beautiful gift of more time!

Start by making a list of certain activities you’d like to get in the habit of doing in the morning. If you need some help crafting your morning routine you can check out this post here. Don’t feel like you have to do everything. What works for some might not work for others.

I honestly believe that a morning routine sets the tone for the entire day. And now you finally have the time to create the perfect morning routine that works best for you.

Wake Up Earlier

Waking up earlier is crucial if you want to get your day started off on the right foot.

Trust me when I say you will feel a million times better if you wake up earlier to fit in a few healthy habits vs catching some extra zzz’s. So get up early and enjoy the morning.

Start by taking your time waking up. There’s no need to rush so be kind to yourself and wake up slowly.

Start by slowly stretching your body while you’re still in bed. Then hop out of bed and stretch a little deeper. You’ve been laying in one position all night so it’s important to get the kinks out.

Take the time to make a healthy breakfast and to actually sit and enjoy it. Do the same with your cup of coffee. No more sitting in traffic and sneaking a few sips. Instead, relax in a comfortable, quiet part of your home and enjoy the stillness. I love taking this time to do some journaling or to just sit quietly for a bit and day dream.

Get Dressed!

I will be honest, there are still some days when I stay in my PJs instead of actually getting dressed. But this is a big mistake. I feel so sluggish and tired on days when I don’t get dressed.

If you struggle with this as well, try laying out your clothes the night before. Fresh, clean clothes already waiting for me helps motivate me to actually get dressed before your work day begins. I always feel so much more refreshed and more awake when I throw on some clean clothes.

Stay Hydrated

I was always guilty of not drinking enough water when I worked in an office. But I feel like I struggle with this even more working from home. Often times I would find myself making another cup of coffee instead of going for a glass of water. Usually for no other reason than the fact that I could.

But drinking too much coffee and not enough water left me feeling so groggy during the day.

When we don’t get enough water we feel more tired and more achey. We’re also way more likely to experience that 3pm mid-day crash.

Avoid this by keeping a big bottle of water right next to you. Sip on it as much as you can during the day. Adding a straw will also help you drink more.

I’ve even gone as far as to put reminders on my phone so I don’t forget.

Remember, if you start feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So keep that water close to you and refill as much as you need.

Get Sweaty

We spend a lot of our time sitting when working from home. So make sure you are getting in that physical activity to help loosen up and prevent body aches.

Getting your workout in first thing is also a great way to help wake yourself up in the morning. You’ll feel so much more energized and motivated and ready for the day ahead.

The added bonus is that incredible feeling of knowing your workout is done for the day!

Don’t Skip Showers

I know it’s easy to skip a shower here and there and not wash the hair for a week, but try to avoid this.

Honestly I really believe that maintaining a sense of normalcy is key when working from home. Like I said earlier sticking to a morning routine will definitely start you off feeling amazing. So don’t skip the shower and remember to wash your hair.

The same rules apply even though you aren’t sitting near your coworkers.

Change of Scenery

If you’re more of an introvert (like me) you’ll quickly realize that one of the biggest perks of working from home is no longer worrying about the dreaded office small talk. But even I can start to feel a little isolated while working alone in my apartment.

The good news is being able to do all of my work from a laptop allows me to be completely mobile. On days where I feel I need a little more interaction with others, I pack up and head to the coffee shop or the library. Just being around people can help me feel less isolated from the world.

I also find that the background noise of people chattering and the coffee machines humming actually can help me focus.

Take Breaks

Sometimes we can get so consumed with work we forget to get up and move a little. I hate when I get caught up in something and then realize 3 hours have gone by and I haven’t moved!

Set reminders on your phone if you need to. But always try to get up and stretch about every hour or hour and half. Make those mini breaks last at least 15 minutes before returning back to work. It’s good to get the blood flowing in your legs and you will feel far less stiff and achy by the end of the day.

Make Your Lunch And Eat It Too

When I first started working from home I fell into old habits when it came to lunch. Just grabbing the quickest thing I could and sitting down at my computer to keep working. But after a while I realized there’s no excuse not to make a healthy lunch for myself. Everything I needed was in arms reach and I knew I should be taking better advantage of this.

I soon realized I have way more time to make healthy and filling meals. So now I plan out my lunches a little better, carving out time to sit down and actually enjoy it.

If at all possible I highly recommend you take this time to step away from your computer while you eat. You deserve a break to sit and have lunch even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes.

This is also a great time to give your eyes a break from the screen. And to allow yourself to relax and reset for a minute.

I hope these tips help you create some healthy work from home habits that will leave you feeling so much better throughout your entire day. Give these tips a try tomorrow during work and let me know how you feel!

And always remember, our environment might change, but our healthy habits don’t have to. Have a wonderful rest of your day and a stress free workday.