There are many advantages to working from home, for one you avoid the stress of rush hour traffic – if you’re lucky you can also stay in bed for an extra hour! It can also be easier to manage your workload, as you can go more at your own pace. Finally, you don’t have to get dressed up for the office – lots of people work from home in their jogging bottoms, and dressing gowns!

Negatives…

Whilst working from home comes with its advantages, it also comes with its drawbacks. For example if you’re sat in the house all day, staring at a computer screen – it’s not good for your mental well-being.

Also, if you are sat down all day, answering emails, and hopping on Skype calls – then it can be easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle – with the only steps you take… involving going to make a coffee, or taking a bath room break! When you work from home it’s extra important to take good care of your mental and physical health. You can do this by…

Social Time

One of the drawbacks of working from home is the lack of human interaction. Isolation can be damaging to one’s mental health, we are social creatures who need human contact. If you’re spending most of your time by yourself, it could easily lead to feelings of loneliness, and in some cases depression.

That’s why it’s super important to factor in some social time. Whether that’s going out for food with friends in the evening, or popping out for a morning coffee with your husband/wife – it doesn’t matter, as long as you are having some meaningful face-to-face interaction each day.

Another great option is to join a sports team, or some form of club which involves socialising and activity. For example you could join a squash club, or running group, you could also do an outdoor bootcamp class. This type of socialising will do two things to improve your health… 1) you’ll be interacting with other people – good for the mind and 2) you’ll be burning calories, getting fit and experiencing ‘feel good’ endorphin highs – which will make you feel better, and help counteract stress brought on from working from home.

Set a Workout Schedule

With time management at your discretion, you can actually set a regular workout and exercise schedule. For example you could book in an hour with yourself – basically an hour of YOU time. You could do this first thing in the morning before starting your day, or book an hour off at lunch to do some training.

If you’re not used to working out then start light by doing something like a 20-30 minute walk on your lunch break. If you’re already into a good routine of working out… then you could do something more vigorous, such as going on a run, or doing a HIIT class at your local gym.

If you can afford it, you could also hire a personal trainer to come to your house and train you – this will be a welcomed break from work, and also be a form of social interaction.

Take Frequent Breaks

Sitting at a computer screen all day is not good for the mind, or posture. People who sit at computers all day end up with rounded shoulders, neck pain, headaches, and tight joints/muscles.

Instead of sitting all day, make-sure that you take regular breaks, at least every 90 mins. Set a timer and do 90 minutes of productive work, then once the timer bleeps, get up for a stroll, make a coffee, hydrate yourself with some water. You could also take some time out to focus on your breathing and do a quick 5 minute meditation – which will help you reset before going back to work for another 90 mins.

Fill Your Fridge With Healthy Foods

When you work from home it’s easy to live a lazy lifestyle, consuming too many processed foods. For example a typical breakfast for ‘home workers’ would be…

• Breakfast – some processed cereal
• Lunch – a sandwich, crisps, and chocolate bar
• Snack – biscuits
• Dinner – microwave meal or takeout

This type of lifestyle will make you feel sluggish, and pile on the pounds. It will also affect your digestive system (making you feel bloated), finally it will negatively impact sleep – not good for health, or work!

Instead, buy healthy food from the supermarket and plan your meals out for the week. Some great choices include lean meats and fish (chicken, turkey, cod). Other foods which are good for energy include complex carbs, such as brown rice, and sweet potatoes. With your main meals aim to have a serving of vegetables. Finally, instead of snacking on biscuits and sugary treats, opt for a small handful of nuts, or fruit (bananas, apples, and strawberries are all great choices).