How to have a healthy ‘work from home’ life during the coronavirus

This week I’m going to give you some healthy home-work to do!.

As businesses are changing their working arrangements across the globe due to the coronavirus and more people now have the flexibility of working from home, there are a few ways that you can set yourself up at home during these uncertain times. By looking after your physical and mental health, whilst still having motivation and fulfilling your tasks, you can still be business as per usual.

Have you ever noticed that some days in the office you’re always on, hyper-paced, needing the dopamine hit of news and activity and planning your next meeting or task? That may seem super productive, however, there are other times during the day when you need your respite and rest for your own physical and mental health.

Studies have shown that it's far more beneficial to take proper regular breaks which has been proven to make us happier and more productive workers.

When it comes to working from home, setting up a few ground rules will make all the difference to your day to day. It may seem very unfamiliar, whether you’re an introvert who recharges their batteries at home or an extrovert who needs interaction from others, but with careful planning, you can really embrace the swing of this new rhythm of life.

Think about the positives too, no rush hour commute, the ability to work in your comfy home clothes and you don’t even need to show up for face to face meetings unless you do video conferencing.

As someone who has worked from home for the past eight years, I’m sharing some of my tried and tested tips that you can apply to your own home based office to ensure you’re in top-notch shape for the weeks ahead.

Create a welcoming workspace

Make your workspace an oasis and aim for a space with natural light; if it’s gloomy or dark you’ll be less inclined to want to stay there. Bring a few outdoor plants indoors, light a candle, or play some gentle meditation music or if you’re an extrovert play some beats if you want to feel a buzz. You can also place your favourite photograph where you can see it, one that makes you feel happy.

Opt for a strong chair, one that is both comfortable and provides you with good back support. You could also try standing more than sitting – consider a standing desk if it's available to you. A stand up desk for office spaces will reduce fatigue while working.

Try and make the space relaxing, have some herbal teas and drink them in your special cup and stay hydrated by always having water on your desk.

                                          Image via Brook and Peony

Set some healthy boundaries

Maintaining your own boundaries is a crucial element of self-care, and it's good to know how and when to switch off and on. It also helps if you live with others, or have friends who want to hang in the ‘new office’. It’s important they understand your boundaries and real working hours, so that you can limit distractions.

Re-evaluating your personal boundaries might be worth looking into in this new set up, maybe it’s not to meet with or take calls from clients outside of your “office hours” or not putting clients needs before your own family and yourself on weekends or outside hours.

A lack of professional boundaries can sometimes create feelings of overwhelm, anger or resentment. Boundaries that demarcate a clear distinction between your work life and your personal life are helpful when working from home and also having a defined time as to when to clock off!.

Stick (as closely as you can) to your usual routine

If you’re used to waking up at a certain time when the alarm goes off, just stick with it. Try and do things in the same order as you normally would, shower and get dressed and if you walk to work, go for a walk around the block, being mindful of your distance from others, if you usually read on the bus, do some reading from a book you would normally take on the journey to work with you, this will help you mentally prepare and get you into the right mindset.

If you're used to an chinwag and regular chats with colleagues, keep these going and stay in contact with people so you don’t feel confined or  reclusive.

Take regular breaks

Taking a proper lunch break will help to clear your mind and bring a new perspective. It’s a chance to recharge your batteries and give your brain a rest. We underestimate how important it is to take a break.

Eating at your desk is not great for digestion and can lead to overeating, possible reflux and indigestion. Crumbs and spillages also make your desk a playground for bacteria.

When you get up from your desk and have lunch, try and do it in a different area of the house or outside if you have a garden, place your bare feet on the earth and ground with nature.

If you always walk at lunchtime you can still take a short walk or listen to a podcast or meditation on the way. Just do as you normally do as much as possible.

If you’re prone to falling asleep at your desk, throughout the day stand up and stretch, and of you can, try and stand up every hour.  It's good to go outside and get some fresh air too. If you can’t leave the house, try some peppermint oil – it’s a natural stimulant, light a candle or do some breathing or meditation.

Just take two minutes, close your eyes and listen to your breath, even if it is just breathing for five minutes or being mindful of your breath whilst washing up your cup!.

Yoga Poses

During breaks exercise can be beneficial, so why not try stretching or yoga? There are specific yoga poses called asanas to help energise, lengthen, restore and rest the body. Just don't forget to put on your yoga shoes before you start working out.

A standing forward bend will help clear the mind. If you’re feeling drained, lie down and place your legs up the wall, settle in a child’s pose, or lie down on your back with the soles of your feet together, this can help you release the stored stress in your hips (where a lot of stress is hidden). If you need an invigorating pose to increase stamina try warrior pose above. You can also learn more about chakra meanings and how to balance them with this chakra guide.

If you're struggling at home, utilizing self-help groups online or reaching out to people within your workplace if you need someone to talk to, can make you feel less isolated.

Stay healthy with Love Your Gut Capsules

Place your wellbeing at the top of your priority list!

Self-care is a priority and necessity, not a luxury in our current times. Create a wellness toolbox of things that you can do if you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

One of the keys I’ve found to working from home is to tune into the way that you think and make sure you’re giving yourself encouragement and positive self talk, especially if you need to get out of a slump. It helps to remember that the tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected is not productive, maintaining a sense of humour can be a great antidote during those times.

If something is not going your way, try not to compare yourself to others, be kind and gentle with yourself and let results happen in their own time. It’s your choice to maintain a sense of control over your own work responsibilities. You do you!

Writing down your to-do-list the night before can alleviate night time anxiety. Some people find mantras or positive affirmations useful.

If you don't feel comfortable reaching out to people within your workplace, you may benefit from speaking with online professionals, such as the licensed therapists at BetterHelp.

Practice Mindfulness

To help you remain calm and effective in high-pressure situations, and help avoid long-term stress problems, mindfulness can help, aim to zone out twice each day for 10 minutes. You can go directly to your mind, as a large percentage of stress you deal with is actually just in the mind. Resting and relaxing your mind will help you with concentration, energy and alleviate mental fatigue, bringing less stress to your body.

Mindfulness is becoming aware of what’s around us here and now. In fact, it’s the exact opposite to what we normally do: going through our endless tasks, thinking about what we did or didn’t do, worrying about what is still to be done. To be in the here and now, body and mind unified, means that we're no longer thinking about what is causing our stress, so we can start to enjoy what we are doing right now.

How do we reach mindfulness?

• Sit on a cushion on the floor or in a chair
• Let your shoulders relax and focus on your breath
• Focus on the sounds around you, all the things you see, all the things your body feels and focus on the air coming in and out of your lungs
• Pay attention to the voice inside your head, that constant chatter that carries negative thoughts and comments, doubts, worries and judgments
• Choose to let go of the thoughts that are unhelpful and return to focusing on the breath
• Don’t judge yourself or try to ignore any external distractions, your job is just to notice your mind has wandered and return to the breath
• Try and do this twice a day for ten minutes. The more you do it the easier it will become

To help you manage your stress, I've created a meditation audio for you. It’s a relaxation guide that will help you unwind and combat feelings of stress and anxiety.

You can find the guided meditation here, let me know what you think of it and if it has helped you.

Eat nutritious foods even if you’re sitting closer to the fridge!

Balanced nutrition plays an important role when you're in a different environment or under stress, sometimes stress will make you forget or skip meals and not eat properly, or perhaps you'll increase your coffee  intake to keep you going if you have an important deadline.

This is where good food and nutrition comes into play. Make your meals something you look forward to and don’t forget to eat. And just because you're right next to the fridge doesn’t mean you need to keep on opening it!

Working from home can make constant eating a temptation, regularly picking at foods or eating the wrong foods can affect your blood sugar and weight.

Try and have a selection of healthy snacks, nuts or fruit on hand for morning and afternoon tea and set regular times for eating. Some snack options for mid morning and afternoon tea include;

• Cut up veggies and hummus
• Fresh fruit/avocado/banana
• Nuts, nibbles and trail mix
• Healthy muesli bar
• Bliss balls or healthy muffins
• Rice crackers/seaweed crackers
• Tuna/salmon
• Love Your Gut Powder Smoothie

When you’re working from your new home office, for lunch aim to eat a balanced diet with good fats, protein and vegetables and good sources of carbohydrate; a balanced plate. During this time you might want to increase your intake of ‘immune system enhancing’ nutrients and foods. Never underestimate the power of water, around 8 glasses a day is optimum.

Include some of these gut-immune system strengthening foods

• Energy boosters – salmon, bananas, almonds, oatmeal and greens
• Immunity savers – broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach and bone broth
• Spice up your life – turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, rosemary and dill
• Cut up veggies – 4/5 Australian’s don’t reach their fruit and veg recommend intake!
• Omega 3 rich foods for brain function – chia seeds, salmon, avocado, walnuts, flaxseeds, tuna and egg yolks

Remember to eat mindfully and slowly – set a 20 minute timer and enjoy your lunch within this time so you chew mindfully and not rushed, ideally you want to get your body into rest and digest mode at lunchtime.

Avoid scheduling meetings over the lunch period or having your phone with you to check emails, don’t mix screen time with chewing time!

Some other lunch options include the following;

• Leftovers are a girl’s (and guy’s) best friend!
• Salads or baked vegetables
• Bento Boxes or Nori Rolls
• Immune boosting soups
• Stir-fry and poke bowls

If you’re at home for a 14 day period and can’t get to the shops regularly here’s my 14-day Healthy Guide to Stockpiling your Pantry, Plus Shopping List.

Let me know how you go working from home I would love you to reach out to me.

Lee xo