Every person should follow proven health and wellness habits, such as eating healthy food and getting regular exercise. However, there are additional steps you should take if you work remotely. Here are six quick and easy tips to keep you healthy and happy as you work from home.
1. Invest in an Ergonomic Office Chair
An ergonomic office chair is essential, especially if you spend most of your workday sitting. A chair that maintains your posture prevents you from experiencing back pain or tension in your shoulders. Select one with a comfortable adjustable seat that best fits your body and provides lumbar support. Set the seat height so your feet are flat on the floor when sitting.
2. Schedule a Daily Routine
Remote workers often tend to work longer days without even realizing it, which may lead to burnout and stress. Following a daily routine helps keep you on track. Give yourself regular work hours with a set start and finish time. Schedule a morning and afternoon break and time away from your desk for lunch.
3. Add Flowers to Your Workspace
Fresh flowers in your home office are beautiful to look at and offer other benefits as well. Researchers at Rutgers University confirm that flowers give a long-term happiness boost to your mood and relieve anxiety to make you more productive at work. The scent of flowers has also proven to naturally stimulate your brain's feel-good chemicals of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.
4. Stay Hydrated
A common problem of remote workers is not drinking enough water throughout the day. This can lead to dehydration and cause fatigue, dry mouth, and headaches. Make it a point to drink 8-10 cups of water daily. An easy way to do this is to put a full water bottle on your desk in the morning and refill it whenever you empty it.
5. Get Up and Move
It's common to fall into a pattern of sitting for hours at your desk focused on your job when you work remotely. However, that excessive sitting time decreases your daily calorie burn and can lead to weight gain. In addition, getting in the habit of a sedentary workday can lead to health issues, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. An easy fix is to set a timer every hour to get up and move, even if it is just for a few minutes. A great way to spend your morning and afternoon break is a brisk walk around your block. You will return to your desk feeling energized and ready to tackle your next assignment.
6. Relieve Stress With Iyengar Yoga
Shake off the day's stress at the end of your workday with Iyengar yoga. This form of yoga focuses on correct body alignment in yoga postures and breathing techniques that are perfect for relaxing your mind and smoothing out any muscular tension. A regular practice lowers your blood pressure, improves your posture, tones your body, builds strength, and increases your flexibility. It also boosts your energy level, which is just what you need at the end of a busy workday in your home office.
Adopting these six easy tips can make a difference in your workday. Each promotes wellness to keep you healthy and happy as you work from home.