Most of you are probably reading this while working from home, or on that lengthy five metre commute from your bed to your desk office. With the rise of COVID-19, most workplaces across Australia have transitioned to working from home. Now more than ever, it’s essential to remain healthy, happy, and productive throughout the day.
Here are our MACROS approved tried and tested ways to work from home healthily.
Establish a Routine
Although it’s tempting to wake up ten minutes before work, amble over to your couch and start working, setting a routine can do wonders for your mental health and productivity. Try to get up at the same time every day, shower and change out of your pyjamas (or at least into your daytime pyjamas), enjoy a healthy breakfast, and then get started with work.
Set Up a Designated Workspace
While the bed office or couch office can seem like a good idea, it’s not really a healthy or viable long term solution. Also, separating your work from your living space makes it easier to relax and switch off from work outside of office hours. Find a quiet space with lots of natural light, and get set up with a desk and a comfortable (preferably ergonomic) chair. Try to set up your laptop so it’s at eye level, or invest in a monitor.
Set Goals
If your job is an autonomous one, it can be good to write out a daily or weekly to-do list and tick it off as you go. That way, you can keep track of everything that needs to be done, and develop a game plan to tackle it.
Take Time to Exercise
One of the key benefits of working from home is there’s extra time to fit in some exercise as you’ve cut out the commute. WFH often means far less incidental exercise than in the workplace, so take some time to fit in a pre-work jog or walk outdoors, or an afternoon at home weights session!
Remember to Refuel
Regardless of where you’re working from, it’s essential to stay fueled to remain productive. Refuel with a MACROS meal to get the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
Take Coffee Breaks
Coffee/tea breaks and meetings are a natural part of work life, but when working from home it can be easy to stay at your desk for hours. Ensure you get up for a break every hour or so; down a couple of glasses of water, make a metabolism-boosting matcha green tea, take a few minutes away from the screen, and stretch your legs.
Continue to Collab
Coffee/tea breaks and meetings serve a twofold purpose – they also provide a daily dose of social stimulation. Without that, working from home can feel a little isolating or lonely. Take part in your office’s daily team meeting, and catch up with your colleagues over video chat or via a call to brainstorm ideas and check in with each other.
Know When to Sign Out
In our ever-connected world, it can be difficult to know when to stop working (that includes replying to work-related emails). Try to sign out and shut down at around the same time you normally would in the office (or decide on alternative hours that work for you).
Don’t Hesitate to Meditate
It’s a stressful time for us all, which makes it the perfect time to pick up (or continue) meditation. Meditation can help reduce stress, control anxiety, and improve your mental and emotional wellbeing. Try sitting in a comfortable, distraction-free place for 10 minutes with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. Alternatively, try downloading a mindfulness app like Calm, Headspace, or The Smiling Mind, or look for guided meditations on YouTube.
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