Working from Home – Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

Something as simple as getting out for a walk or run everyday will improve your mood and keep you healthy. The best thing about this is it’s outside, so you can get some fresh air and maybe even some sunshine at the same time. Cycling is also a good option if you prefer it.

There’s also no shortage of online workouts you can do from home. YouTube has a wide range of workout videos for free that will suit all abilities. Whether a 20 minute lunchtime HIIT session is your thing or a pre-bed yoga routine is more your style, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

Endless takeaways seem like the easy option and the temptation to regularly order in is strong, especially as you aren’t walking past any shops on your way home from the office to pick up fresh groceries after work!

If you can, keep takeaways to the minimum or cook your own healthy alternatives to your favourite classics.

Keeping to regular meals can also help. It’s very easy to mindlessly snack while working from home – hands up if you’ve polished off a whole packet of biscuits in a day before!

Sticking to regular, nutritious meals will help prevent this as you should feel full and satisfied for longer after eating.

Don’t forget to drink water too. It’s very easy to find yourself on your fourth of fifth coffee without realising it, but don’t forget coffee is actually dehydrating. Make sure to balance it out with regular glasses of water. This is also a good way to keep you moving as you have to get up every hour or so to fill up your glass.

Working from home can help you save money and improve your financial health. For starters, you don’t have the cost of the commute or the allure of after work drinks!

But, there are expenses to working from home and the costs could rack up quickly if you don’t watch out.

Electricity will be a big cost when you’re at home all the time. To keep your electricity costs down, turn your power switches off at the wall when you’re not using them. You could also consider switching providers. Many offer a referral bonus if you can convince a friend to switch, too.

Heating is another big expense, especially in the colder months. Try and wear extra socks and jumpers rather than heading to the thermostat as soon as you get a bit chilly.

Where possible try and avoid ordering lunch each day, however tempting it might be. Although cooking endless meals can get tiring, it will help you save a lot of money, so your bank balance will thank you in the long run.

If you’re finding you’re not spending as much money – whether it’s from not commuting or buying lunch each day – try and avoid leaving it sitting in your current account. This will just increase the temptation to spend it when the opportunity presents itself again.

Being isolated working from home alone (or just with your partner and family around) can take its toll on your mental health.

A good starting point is to stay connected with your friends. Arrange catch ups over coffee or even call your bestie on your lunch break. If you’re both freelancers, consider setting a regular ‘work date’ where you spend time together while working.

A routine is crucial to staying healthy while working from home.

It may seem tempting – particularly without the commute hanging over you – to keep snoozing your alarm, but try and avoid this.

Instead, get up each morning and follow the same pattern. Whether it’s having a coffee, a shower, or cooking yourself a nice breakfast, the important thing is to stick to a routine and avoid lying in bed with your laptop all morning.

It’s also really important to take breaks and get away from endless screens regularly. A quick stand up and stretch every hour, will help avoid aches and pains while giving your mind a much-needed break.

Where you can, take a proper break in the day and get some fresh air. Getting out in daylight will make a big difference if your working hours allow it. Schedule this into your day to stop yourself from putting it off because it’s a bit too cold or raining.

If you’re struggling with productivity, or social media scrolling is distracting you too much, try scheduling in fun activities as rewards. This could be anything from a break to watch an episode of your favourite TV show after you’ve met a deadline or even a bubble bath.

It’s a good idea to mark the end of the working day too. Try to avoid checking your emails well into the evening and working anti-social hours. Instead, shut your laptop down and put it away until the morning once you’ve finished for the day.