How you can build in exercise when working from home.

Over the past few years, working from home has gone from the exception to commonplace. Remote and hybrid models have upended office-centric culture along with the logistics of “going to work.” 

Personally, I think working from home makes staying healthy less of a hassle. Along with saving valuable time on the commute, remote work affords more opportunity for taking regular breaks, scheduling work around workouts, tending to family, and preparing home-cooked meals. 

So it’s no surprise that many people report being more productive, having greater job satisfaction, and achieving better work-life balance.

Still, I get that working from home has its challenges. Social isolation is a valid concern, as is the loss of built-in structure and blurring of personal and work time. To optimise WFH advantages and mitigate the downsides, here are some suggestions of what to do. 

Make Regular Movement a No Brainer.

While remote work theoretically allows for less sitting and more movement, it’s easy to find yourself in a chair, glued to a screen, from morning through evening. When more work is always waiting, moving around (or getting out of your bathrobe) can take a backseat. 

Don’t rely on willpower to set new patterns in motion. Instead, give yourself hard-to-miss cues for moving more and building new habits. A few ideas: 

• Keep a resistance band by the kettle /coffeemaker (and maybe hand grind those beans). 
• Create a sit-stand workspace and change your position at the top of each hour
• Invest in a hour glass timer that measures 30 mins and move when the sand runs out
• Place a kettlebell in a high-traffic location (the kitchen doorway, perhaps), and do some swings each time you pass through.
• Schedule breaks on your calendar, enable notifications, and don’t ignore those reminders to move.

In other words, set yourself up  to move more with less planning, decision making, and thought. 

Make and Maintain Boundaries.

When working remotely, you are in charge of safeguarding your time. On the one hand, you have more freedom to take breaks, tend to family and pets, and take out the trash. On the other, you never actually “leave work” to “head home.”

Do your best to set, communicate, and keep regular work hours.

Do not start working in the morning without first taking time to rise, move your body, and tend to your mindset. Do not work late into the night—especially on screens, which wreak havoc on sleep. If you’re worried about work, write yourself a list to tackle tomorrow. While you’re getting sleep, your subconscious is working on it.

Throughout the day, take frequent breaks. 

Five or ten minutes every half hour and a longer break every couple of hours will boost your productivity and focus, not diminish them.

Take weekends and, when possible, vacations. 

For at least some of your time off, leave home and venture outside. Don’t check email, and don’t bring your laptop. 

Stay hydrated and watch your caffeine intake.

No need to force-feed yourself water, but be mindful of drinking to thirst. Staying hydrated supports energy and focus, and getting up to get a drink offers a reminder to stretch your legs and change your position.

And while we’re talking drinks, watch the coffee. No need to quit entirely, but don’t overdo caffeine or depend on it as a means to push through.

Eat Proper Meals.

Do not work through lunch! Close your laptop and work email, put that phone away, and take a half hour to prepare and eat a meal without stress or distraction. You’ll digest your food better and will return to work more energised, alert, and inspired.

Leave Home and Seek Novelty.

Whether it means taking a break in your backyard or working from a local coffee shop, leave home daily. Walking meetings are one of my favourite ways to do this. I get out of the house, move my body, and can think more clearly—all while getting stuff done.

Leaving home is also an invitation to seek novelty and do something different. Our brains love this, and it keeps WFH from feeling like Groundhog Day (I’m dating myself with this movie reference). Of course, you can manufacture novelty at home too. Take an online course to learn something new, mix up your workouts, or buy a great cookbook and feast your way through it.

Get Creative.

Speaking of brain health, find ways to express yourself and exercise your mind through play and creative endeavour. Music is my outlet of choice, but yours might be writing, drawing, dancing, or knitting. 

Whatever your thing, keep it creative and playful. This counterbalance to more rigid, serious work will enhance your quality of life while benefiting productivity, motivation, and mood. 

While working from home has its challenges, it offers an opportunity to live better and healthier. 

Photo by Zen Chung: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-white-long-sleeve-shirt-sitting-on-chair-beside-a-dog-5749806/