6 Wellness Tips For Working From Home

Working from home has multiple advantages. However, it does require a higher level of commitment and responsibility to yourself and your job to make the most of this arrangement. The right setup can enhance your health while supercharging your productivity. How can you maximize your fitness and productivity while telecommuting? Here are six wellness tips for working from home. 

1. Get Ergonomic and Cozy 

Your first order of business is to create a cozy, ergonomic workspace where you minimize distractions caused by physical discomfort. Now’s your time to celebrate and plan your decor according to your unique tastes. You’re free from worries of harsh, overhead fluorescents driving you crazy with invisible pulsing, sagging chairs that leave your back aching and the lingering aroma of your cubicle mate’s reheated salmon leftovers. 

Start by selecting the best desk setup. The perfect chair lets you see your screen without hunching forward and place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent at 90°. It should provide adequate lumbar support to prevent lower back pain. 

Other alternatives include variable-height desks and inflatable exercise balls. The latter makes a great chair alternative, even if you only use it part-time. You can lean back and stretch your lumbar region or burn a few extra calories bouncing away while you crunch numbers. 

If you have a disability, you might need an alternative setup for those days when your pain levels soar. Working from bed isn’t lazy when you need it — it’s an accessible accommodation that allows you to do your best work despite physical limitations. However, the right lap desk with an attached fan keeps your computer from overheating amid thick comforters while providing ample pocket space for your phone and blue light specs and room to move your mouse. 

2. Light It Up Right 

Adequate lighting is a must. If possible, take advantage of natural light, which research shows inspires higher productivity levels. Is heat streaming through that open window? Consider a 1-way window film that blocks UV radiation, protecting your furniture and skin while keeping you comfortable without thick curtains. 

Of course, you may sometimes need to burn the midnight oil. For those occasions, a set of overhead track lighting helps you direct illumination precisely where you need it. A handy desk lamp completes your needs. Here’s a simple hack to keep overwork from ruining your sleep: select bulbs along the amber wavelength to cut blue light and remind you that it’s twilight when you work late. It may also increase your visual acuity, which is useful if all those numbers get blurry by day’s end. 

3. Schedule Regular Breaks 

Science now proves what humans have long instinctively known — you work better when you take regular breaks. Human beings aren’t machines. We’re designed to live, which means getting up from your desk and moving to keep your blood flowing to those neurons. 

Why not give the Pomodoro technique a try? This method entails setting a timer for 25 minutes, during which you fall into deep work. After that time, you take a 5-minute break. At the end of three or four Pomodoro periods, you take a longer rest of approximately 20 to 30 minutes. It’s a great way to maintain your focus and keep distractions like social media scrolling to a minimum — you have an assigned time for such activities. 

4. Make Time for Socializing 

One drawback of working from home is that it can be lonely. There’s no water cooler around to chat about the best hit Netflix series. 

Therefore, you have to make an extra effort to be social. Engage in workplace activities like your break time Slack channels to socialize with your colleagues. Say yes to invitations for after-hours gatherings. Virtual events work well and in-person events are even better for honing your networking skills and getting you out of the house. 

It also helps to build in time with your tribe. Are your kiddos homeschooling? Why not take your breaks together and use the time for a short walk around the block? You’ll both benefit from the brisk exercise refreshing your brain cells while cementing your bond. 

5. Engage All of Your Senses 

Working from home allows you to embrace wellness that encompasses all your senses. Are you an aromatherapy queen who can’t relax without the scent of lavender? Upgrade that diffuser because you no longer have to worry about offending colleagues with your signature scent. 

Remember those all-important breaks? Why not make them a boon to your health? Walking is always fun and free, and the environment around your neighborhood might be more conducive than many downtown metro areas. You can also invest in one of today’s top fitness apps with mini workouts as short as five minutes. Squeeze in exercise breaks throughout your day to stay fresh — you no longer have to worry about drawing funny looks from co-workers. 

Above all, make your home office a delightful place. If it makes you feel good to wrap yourself in a heavenly soft Sherpa throw while you complete your tasks, go for it. Bring in as many of your favorite comfort objects as you want — there are no rules about what you may keep on your desk. 

6. Create Firm Boundaries Between Work and Home

Another potential downside of working from home is that the lines can blur between your recreational time and your responsibilities. It’s up to you to create boundaries, and you can do so with the right shutdown ritual. 

At the end of each day, spend five minutes plotting tomorrow’s course and reviewing your to-do list. Then, shut down your computer, turn out the lights, blow out your candle — whatever it takes to signal to yourself that work is done for the day. You might even say aloud, “Today is done, and tomorrow is another day.” Shut your office door and enjoy relaxing with your family. 

Wellness Tips for Working From Home 

Working from home can enhance your overall wellness and productivity. However, you need to take charge and make maximum advantage of this arrangement. 

Follow the six wellness tips for working from home listed here. You can make telecommuting your most productive workstyle ever.