The past year has been a whirlwind of changes. For many of us, heading to the office no longer requires leaving the house. While working remotely may be a bit more flexible, it has proven to pose a unique set of new challenges, especially when it comes to your health. When working from home, many of us strive for comfort. This being so, we can now take skype calls from anywhere, including the bed, couch and kitchen. Additionally, not having coworkers nearby may stir up a sense of loneliness and impact our mental and physical health. Let's face it, staying healthy while working from home can be challenging, but it's not impossible! Follow the tips and tricks below to improve your well-being and make working from home a breeze.
Create a Designated Office Space
While working from wherever you want may seem like a huge perk, working in unfamiliar places can be hard on your body. Hours spent sitting on a couch, bed or park bench may lead to backaches and body pain. Additionally, working outside of your office can be quite distracting. With the kitchen, TV and family nearby, it's easy to get distracted by something other than your work. To ensure that you remain productive, create a workspace that allows you to disconnect from your home life. When designing your space, like an office, it should be somewhere you feel comfortable. Decorate with plants, purchase an essential oil diffuser for relaxation, and invest in an ergonomic chair—this will make sure your body stays properly aligned throughout the day. Creating an office space centered around comfort is the key to boost your health while working from home. Remember, your office is somewhere you'll be spending a lot of time, make sure it's a place you enjoy.
If You Live in a Small Space
One of the most common concerns about working from home is not having a space big enough to designate as an office. Don't worry if you don't have an extra room that you transform into a workspace. Even just setting up a separate desk, where you agree only to do work, is enough. No matter how small your office is, make sure it's somewhere that you can get work done.
Eat Well
One of the most important factors when staying healthy while working from home is your diet. While ordering meals from local restaurants now and then won't derail your health goals, eating take-out every meal isn't great for your body or budget. Instead of relying on store-bought or restaurant ordered meals, make food at home more often.
With conference calls and online meetings being available at the touch of a button, your calendar may be more packed than before. What goes into your body matters just as much as when you eat. If you find yourself running short on time, reach for healthy recipes that you can prepare the night before. Some of our favorites include:
Easy Overnight Oats
Looking for a quick breakfast recipe that you can make the night before? This Easy Overnight Oats recipe is an effortlessly nutritious breakfast that can be made in minutes. Just mix all the ingredients into a mason jar and let it refrigerate overnight. Grab and go in the morning for a high energy breakfast you'll make time and time again.
Bean Free Quinoa Chili
Gluten free, and vegan this Bean Free Quinoa Chili is the perfect recipe to make in large batches. Thick and full of rich traditional chili flavor, it's easy to freeze and reheat throughout the week.
Start Meal Prepping
Hoping for a food schedule that's even more manageable? It's time to start meal prepping. Setting aside time at the beginning of the week to plan out and prep your meals can free up more time during the week to get work done. Choose a few different recipes that you'd like to eat, prepare them all in a few hours, and freeze them until you're ready to enjoy them. A week's worth of meal prepped breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes can be made in a day, and having these meals on hand will guarantee that you always have a healthy meal to reach for. Plus, it keeps you from settling for unhealthy options because you're short on time. Looking for a bit of inspiration to get started? Keep scrolling for a couple of our favorite meals to prep for your workday.
Fines Herbs Quiche
This quiche covers all the bases when it comes to a nutritious meal prep recipe. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. It's the ideal meal to make when you crave something simple and delicious. Loaded with protein and flavor, this Fines Herbs Quiche can be eaten warm or cold, making it the perfect food to consume between meetings.
Poblano Cheese Tamales
Searching for something extraordinary? Make some tamales. While it may sound intimidating at first, this Poblano Cheese Tamale Recipe makes it easy. In this recipe, roasted peppers and melty panel cheese make the perfect vegetarian filling. Make a large batch and enjoy a few straight from the oven before freezing the leftovers to eat later on.
Move More
One of the benefits of working remotely is that you can move around whenever you want. While it can be easy to get stuck in your seat, especially when you've created a comfortable office space, you must keep your body moving. Make it a goal to stand up every hour. Stretch, plan a walking conference call or take your next video meeting out in the sunshine. Finding creative ways to get up and move around will give your back a break and reduce any stiffness caused by remaining in the same position. If you want to ensure that you're up and moving around during a long workday, then it may be time to invest in a standing desk. Standing desks can be adjusted to different heights throughout the day, making changing positions effortless.
Stick to a Schedule
Working odd hours from home can be tempting. Whether you want to wake up late or stay up during the night to finish a big project, setting an exact schedule and sticking to it will significantly benefit your mental and physical health. Start by choosing a time to get up and work each morning. Arrive at your office (wherever that may be) at the same time everyday and create a routine that you can adhere to. When creating your daily schedule, make sure you've blocked off time for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a few healthy snack breaks. Doing so will ensure that you remain energized and focused during work hours.
Keep the Kitchen Stocked With Healthy Snacks
When working remotely, your home's kitchen is transformed into the office kitchen, and it's vital that you keep it stocked with healthy snacks for working. Having a kitchen right around the corner that's full of all of your favorites is dangerous. The more accessible unhealthy food is, the more likely you are to snack on it. If you're serious about improving your health, then it's time to improve the quality of the foods you keep in your kitchen. Do a kitchen reset and donate all sugar-laden snacks you shouldn't be eating. Next, replace those snacks with healthier options. Stocking your kitchen with nutritious treats, fresh fruits and vegetables will make sticking to a healthy diet easier. Plus, you'll be able to discover new recipes you'd never think to try. Whip up some pretty incredible snacks by following the recipes below.
Sweet and Spicy Crispy Chickpeas
Need a snack that you can eat on the go? Make a batch of these Sweet and Spicy Crispy Chickpeas. Just a sprinkle of spices transforms these creamy legumes into a crispy, addictive snack. Pair them with your favorite flavored sparkling water and enjoy.
Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars
Making granola bars from scratch is a great way to get to know the ingredients inside. These Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars combine Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, coconut oil and honey to create the perfect mid-day snack.
We hope that you find these tips and recipes helpful as you navigate life working from home. While it may take time to get used to your new home office routine, we're confident that you'll be an expert after just a few weeks. You may even find that you're more productive working from home than at the office. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we hope you have a happy and healthy day!
Have a work from home health tip that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear more about how you're sticking to a healthy lifestyle while working remotely. Let us know in the comments below.
