How to Stay Healthy While Working From Home
Dusty Rhodes • March 25, 2020
In theory, it’s easier to be healthy when you’re working from home: No office snacks or donuts, you can cook healthy meals, and work out whenever you want.
Win-win-win, right?
The reality, however, probably looks something like this: Slumped on your couch wearing workout clothes you never worked out in (or let’s be honest, your pajamas), tapping away on your laptop, and eating peanut butter out of the jar because you didn’t have the time or energy to make lunch.
Creating a healthy work-life balance is hard enough when you work in an office all day, but it can be just as hard when work and life are happening in the same space.
Find out how you can avoid the pitfalls and maximize the benefits of working from home.
The Benefits of Working From Home
There are undeniable benefits to working from home: the freedom and flexibility of working in familiar surroundings, no co-workers to distract you, being able to wear what you want, time with your pets and/or kids, and the opportunity to knock out some chores, according to Dr. Josh Klapow, clinical psychologist and co-host of “The Web” radio show.
But for every benefit, there’s a potential downside. “Working from home is not for everyone,” says Klapow. “In fact, it can be as much a distraction as it is a productive environment.”
You may not be distracted by co-workers stopping by your desk or people gossiping in the next cube, but there are plenty of opportunities for procrastination.
Think: those household chores, the aforementioned pets (or kids) demanding attention, the lure of Netflix, and the temptation to surf non-work-related websites, to name a few.
Plus, when you’re working from home, it’s easy to skip your workouts, regular meals, social interaction, and even sleep, if you don’t consciously structure your environment to promote healthy habits.
Here’s the good news, though: Staying healthy when you work from home isn’t rocket science.
Follow these 10 practical strategies to help you stay active, eat well, and get your work done.
10 Tips to Stay Healthy While Working From Home
1. Create a designated work area
“Your physical surroundings must be conducive to a work mindset,” says Klapow. That’s why it’s crucial to avoid sending emails from the sofa and designate an area of your home for business, whether it’s a separate home office, dining room table, or small desk in the corner of a room.
Klapow says a designated work zone accomplishes several things: “It will assure you have your materials readily available, it will [indicate] to others when you are ‘at work’ or not, [and] it will trigger a working mindset,” he explains.
When choosing an area of your home to work in, consider factors like location, lighting, noise level, and physical comfort.
Pick a clean, quiet spot with minimal distractions, then tweak the space to your liking: Make sure your chair is comfortable, turn your desk to face the window, organize your work materials, display framed photos, and add some greenery.
Research shows that even adding a couple of plants to your workspace can help soothe you and lower your stress levels.
2. Schedule your day
It’s critical to create a structure for your day; even a loose outline can help you stay on task and prioritize your workload.
First and foremost, set clear start and finish times for your workday, advises Klapow.
“Your at-home workday may be shorter or longer than a workplace workday, but it [still] needs to have its own set schedule,” he says.
That includes scheduling a lunch break and time for meetings and phone calls, plus realistic but adjustable windows of time to accomplish the most important items on your to-do list.
When creating your schedule, consider the time of day you feel most energized and alert, as well as the time of day you feel most sluggish or prone to distraction, then organize your tasks and breaks accordingly.
3. Prep meals and snacks
“Nutrition is very important to staying focused, energized, and productive throughout the day,” says Jennifer Glockner, R.D.N. and creator of Smartee Plate. “It’s hard to concentrate and be productive when you’re hungry or your blood sugar is low,” she explains.
Much like eating healthy at the office, Glockner says the key to eating nutritious foods at home is to stock your kitchen with healthy foods and meal prep.
“Limit sugary drinks and foods, such as refined carbs (for example, white bread and baked goods), that will give you a quick energy boost, followed by an insulin spike and consequent low blood sugar in about two to three hours,” she explains. “This can lead to a lack of concentration and feeling jittery, sweaty, or hungry.”
Instead, stock your fridge and pantry with fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins.
To minimize temptation and prevent overeating — or munching on cereal for lunch — Glockner recommends planning your meals ahead of time and pre-portioning healthy snacks.
“Snack on an orange with a handful of nuts, plain yogurt with berries, hard-boiled egg with a tomato, or hummus with a whole grain cracker or red pepper strips,” she says.
4. Schedule a workout into your calendar
It’s easy to skip workouts when you’re hustling from home, but making time for a solid sweat session has myriad mental and physical health benefits.
Aside from improving your overall fitness, research shows that regular workouts can also help lower your stress levels and increase your energy, which in turn, can help you stay focused and disciplined.
The key to making a workout happen at home is to put it on your calendar, the same way you would schedule a work meeting. “Don’t assume that because you are home you will just work out,” Klapow cautions.
Slot your workout for the early morning before or after work hours, or add it somewhere in the middle of the day when you start to feel antsy — and with a streaming workout service like Beachbody On Demand, you can crush a workout without leaving the house.
5. Relax… within reason
Working from home means you have the luxury of taking an occasional break without having to keep an eye for your boss.
If you’re not careful, though, a well-intentioned mini-break can easily turn into a Netflix marathon or hours-long nap.
If you need a break, “relax but don’t nap,” Klapow advises.
Instead, do something calming that won’t cause you to doze off: Cook a healthy meal, free-write or draw in a notebook, take a brisk walk, or do some yoga.
6. Sit down to eat
It’s normal to plow through your workday without stopping to refuel, but according to Glockner, scheduling time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can actually help facilitate your productivity.
Why? Because “skipping meals may lead to fatigue and consequent lack of concentration,” she explains.
Not only that, but eating a full meal can help prevent you from mindlessly grazing throughout the day, Glockner says, “which is especially important due to easy access to the kitchen at home.”
While you do sit down to a meal (at your kitchen table, not your work desk!), shut down your electronic devices and practice mindful eating: Take small bites, chew your food thoroughly, and notice the flavors and texture in each mouthful.
7. Get out of the house
Make a point to leave the house — without your car — at least once a day.
Bike to meet a friend for lunch, take your dog or kids to hang out at the park, or replace a coffee break in your kitchen with a walk to the nearest coffee shop.
By getting out of the house, you’ll get some much-needed social interaction, and enjoy some new scenery — in fact, a quick walk may even help boost your creativity.
8. Drink plenty of water
Make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day, Glockner says. “Dehydration may lead to fatigue and headaches, which may compromise [your] alertness and productivity,” she explains.
Aim to drink half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water each day.
9. Take mindfulness breaks
“Every hour or so, get up, take a deep breath, and be mindful of your comfortable surroundings,” Klapow advises. “Take in the fact that you may have your dog by your side or a fish tank behind you. Peek outside and look at the flowers,” he says.
Pausing to notice these small joys is like a quick dose of meditation.
“This will not only give your mind a break, it will help you feel more optimistic,” Klapow explains.
10. Develop a shutdown ritual
In a traditional office setting, you know it’s the end of the workday when you pack up your things and head home.
But when you’re already home, the line between work and “home” time can blur. “You cannot allow your workday to simply bleed into your before and after work schedule just because you are at home,” Klapow explains.
That’s why it’s helpful to develop a routine that simultaneously signals the end of the workday and helps you transition away from emails and work projects.
Your shutdown ritual can be as simple as closing your laptop and storing it out of sight, or doing something more involved, like a workout or leaving the house for a stroll or errands.
The 10-Second Takeaway
Don’t let the comfort and familiarity of home get in the way of your work productivity or your health.
By organizing and scheduling your work and home tasks, and creating physical and mental boundaries, you can establish a healthy balance that will make your boss and your body happy.
Dusty Rhodes Properties is the Best Realtor in Myrtle Beach! We do everything in our power to help you find the home of your dreams. With experience, expertise, and passion, we are the perfect partner for you in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We love what we do and it shows. With more than 22 years of experience in the field, we know our industry like the back of our hands. There’s no challenge too big or too small, and we dedicate our utmost energy to every project we take on. We search thousands of the active and new listings from Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Garden City Beach, Longs, Loris, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, and Surfside Beach real estate listings to find the hottest deals just for you!
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Be honest. Have you started looking at homes online yet? If you have, it’s already time to get pre-approved . Because here’s what not enough people know. If buying a home is on your radar – even if it’s more of a someday plan than a right now plan – you don’t want to wait until later on in the process to tackle this step. No matter what you’ve heard, pre-approval isn’t about commitment . It’s about clarity . And here are the two big ways pre-approval sets you up for success. You Know Your Numbers Up Front During the pre-approval process, a lender will walk through your finances and tell you what you can borrow based on your income, debts, credit score , and more. And once you have that number, your search becomes a lot more focused. With a mortgage pre-approval, you know what you can borrow, so it’s easier to figure out your ideal price point, and what you can actually afford. And that clarity is key. Because if you just start browsing online and just guess at your price point, you run the risk of falling for a house that’s outside of your price range – or missing out on ones that aren’t. You want this number to be clearly defined before your search. Here’s why. You Can Move Quickly When You Find the One This is how a lot of home searches go today. You scroll through listings just to see what’s out there, and then it happens. You fall in love with something you’ve seen online. If you’re already pre-approved? You’re probably in great shape. But if you’re not… Instead of being able to jump on that house and quickly make an offer, you have to scramble to get a lender, gather the financial documents, and then submit the necessary pre-approval paperwork first. And while you’re waiting to hear back from your lender, someone else who’s more prepared could beat you to the house. As Bankrate explains: “The best time to get a mortgage preapproval is before you start looking for a home. If you find a home you love but don’t have a preapproval in hand, you likely won’t have time to get preapproved before you need to make an offer...” And that’s avoidable, with the right prep. Because while you can’t control when the right home shows up, you can be ready for it. Think of it like showing up to the starting line with your shoes tied and your warm-up done – while everyone else is still looking for parking. It’s not about rushing your timeline. It’s about removing the delay between finding the right home and being able to move on it. One Thing You Need To Know About Pre-Approvals Speaking of timing, pre-approvals do have an expiration date. So, be sure to ask your lender how long it’s good for. The Mortgage Reports explains: “ Mortgage preapproval letters are typically valid for anywhere from 30 to 90 days. However, a preapproval can be updated and extended if the lender re-checks your information.” Doing the right prep and knowing this information can make the whole process a lot smoother. You don’t have to be ready to buy to be ready to buy. Getting pre-approved doesn’t mean you’re committing to buy right now. It just means you’ve taken a step to understand your numbers. And when a home catches your attention, you’re prepped and good to go. Bottom Line Ask yourself this: if your perfect home popped up tomorrow, would you be ready to make a move? If the answer is no and you want to buy, it may be time to get pre-approved. You don’t feel behind before your search even officially kicks off.
Tired of an untidy house? Try a new approach by adopting habits that automatically keep your home orderly Keeping our homes orderly and free of clutter is a struggle for many of us, especially if we’re not naturally organized . If you fall into this category, there’s definitely hope — you just may need to change your habits. Before you roll your eyes and shrug off that idea as impossible, let me tell you what has helped me keep a tidier home. I tried a concept called the “habit loop,” which is described in The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, the best-selling book by Charles Duhigg. The habit loop consists of three steps: cue, routine and reward. The cue is a reminder that initiates the new behavior. The routine is the behavior itself. The reward is the benefit you get from implementing the new behavior. Duhigg says that during the first two weeks of developing a new habit, it’s important to give yourself a treat that you really enjoy right after you complete the new behavior. This will teach your brain to enjoy the new routine. While I’m a professional organizer and really do enjoy decluttering and organizing, I also have an extremely busy life and like to do a lot of other things besides organizing my house. Using the habit loop really helped me get into daily, automatic tidying habits. Perhaps this approach could offer a fresh, effective way for you too to conquer clutter in your home. Here’s how I use it. Tackle Your Own Spaces First If you want to form new no-clutter habits, it’s usually easiest to begin by dealing with your own possessions in spaces you don’t share with all family members. Personally, I live with some wonderful but messy people, so if you’re in the same situation, I recommend you start with your bedroom and bathroom. Duhigg says there’s no precise time frame for how long it takes to form a new habit, but other researchers report it takes 21 to 66 days or even longer. Personally, I needed 21 to 45 days of the habit loop to form a new habit, depending on what the routine was. After that, the behavior became automatic. 1. Make your bed. No matter how messy the bedroom is, a made bed makes it neater. To create a cue for making the bed, pick something you do without fail every day, such as turning off your alarm. It’s best to do the new behavior as soon as possible after the reminder. (I sometimes get distracted if I don’t make my bed right after my cue, and then the bed might remain unmade all day.) After you make the bed — or, for that matter, after you do any new task you’re trying to make habitual — be sure to reward yourself. Your reward can be as simple as a silent “Good job!” you tell yourself or as ritualistic as brewing your morning cup of coffee and then enjoying sipping it. Just remember to give yourself a compliment or perk for working toward your tidy-house goal. 2. Clear your bathroom counters. Brushing my teeth has become the cue I use to trigger my habit of clearing my bathroom counters both morning and night. Each morning after I brush, I put away my makeup, hair products, blow dryer and toothpaste. Then I wipe off the water that has collected on the countertops. I repeat the routine at night, putting away my lotion and other nighttime beauty products. Then I congratulate myself on a job well done. Though I didn’t get it right the first few days, within 21 days I knew I’d managed to develop this habit when I automatically began clearing the counters after brushing. For me, coming home to a clean bathroom is the greatest reward! 3. Put away your attire after wearing it. On most days I wear two different outfits, one for work and one for exercise. If I’m not paying attention to where I put my things, a mess can quickly build up. So I decided that removing my clothes would be the cue to place dirty clothes in the hamper and those I’ll wear again neatly in the closet. If you share a closet with a partner who doesn’t want to participate in this routine, you have a couple of options: You can put your partner’s clothes away or leave them out, knowing that at least half the mess is put away. Since nagging or brooding rarely changes other people’s habits, it might be better to give yourself a reward for cleaning up your own mess and move on. Tackle Common Rooms Next As you move into the common areas of your home, prepare for potential barriers to establishing tidy habits since you may be dealing with other family members’ messes. While this can be frustrating, if family members aren’t cooperative I recommend simply focusing on clearing your own mess. Hopefully, your new habits will eventually rub off on your family. If not, well, your home will still be less cluttered than it was before your new habits. 4. Unbury coffee and end tables. Your cue for clearing the tables in your living room could be turning off the television or putting down the book you were reading. Remove cups, glasses and bowls from the room’s flat surfaces and place them in the dishwasher. Put magazines back in their rack or recycle those you’ve finished reading. Place remote controls in a basket next to the television. Put away books and papers and anything else left cluttering the room. Then congratulate yourself. Your living room will look great in the morning when you start your day. 5. Clear the kitchen counters. Mail, school papers, ear buds, cellphones, vitamins, dog treats, receipts, tissue boxes, keys and more can litter kitchen countertops, making food prep difficult. Plus, this type of miscellaneous debris makes the kitchen look messy and disorganized even if cooking surfaces are cleared. My personal cue for clearing my countertops each night is closing my dishwasher door after I load it. I then scan all the miscellany on the counters and quickly sort and put everything in its place. This may take me an extra 10 minutes, but by doing it each evening I find it is easier to keep the counters clear during the day. I then reward myself with a small piece of chocolate since this habit is much harder to implement than others! My other reward is coming downstairs in the morning to a clean kitchen. 6. Tidy your front hall. I walk through my front hallway on the way to bed and use the walk as my cue to tidy up the space. We have a hall closet where I can store shoes and coats, and each family member has a basket in the closet for personal items. If you don’t have a front hall closet, you might consider storing catchall baskets under a decorative table. I tell myself, “Great job!” before I head off to bed. It’s wonderful having a clutter-free front hall, especially when unexpected visitors stop by. Develop New Habits on What You Bring Into Your Home 7. Manage your mail. Mail is a major source of clutter in many homes. To cut down on the volume, you might want to receive bills and magazines electronically. There are also tools available for unsubscribing from catalogs and unsolicited credit card offers; visit DMAchoice.org or Catalogchoice.org for more information. Even with these steps, mail still has a way of piling up and causing a mess. One relatively easy habit to develop is sorting your mail before you enter the house. I collect my mail from the mailbox and walk directly to my recycling bin, where I immediately place advertising circulars. I then open unfamiliar envelopes (which usually are ads) and toss them in the bin. Since I receive most of my statements electronically, I’m left with very little to bring inside. Remaining items go into an inbox for incoming mail. I then give myself a pat on the back for preventing clutter from entering my house. 8. Be intentional with your purchases. Another habit to consider implementing is being mindful of your purchases. I’ve developed the habit of thinking seriously about the clutter factor of every purchase before buying. As I reach for my credit card, I am reminded to stop and consider whether I already own something that will suffice. I also think about where I’m going to store the item or what I’ll get rid of to make room for the new purchase. For example, when I’m considering a new pair of pants, I ask myself what I have in my closet that might be similar. If I already have too many similar items and don’t want to part with any I already own, I skip the new purchase. I use a similar approach when considering household and kitchen items. My purchases are always intentional because I’m working hard to live in a clutter-free home. I deserve a big pat on the back for working on this habit. I’m not only reducing clutter but I’m also leaving more money in my bank account at the end of the month to spend on things I truly want or need.
When you’re selling your home , it is natural to assume that anything you can safely remove is yours to keep—like the light fixtures you painstakingly cleaned and repaired, or the appliances you bought last year. But the truth is, the buyer may want some of those items, too, and sometimes it's better to part ways with these items for the sake of the sale. Rather than keep everything, you should decide what you'd like to keep and what you'll leave behind as a way to entice buyers into making an offer, particularly in today's market where buyers are holding more of the cards than ever. What stays with the house? Generally, certain items stay with the house when you sell and move. Some features may seem obvious, but the truth is, you're probably expected to leave more behind than you think. Some of these items can include: Built-ins: Built-in bookshelves, benches, and pull-out furniture generally stay inside the home. Landscaping: Trees, shrubs, and any flowers planted in the ground should stay in the yard. Wall mounts: If you have TV wall mounts or picture mounts that might damage the wall if you remove them, it is a good idea to leave them in place when you move. Custom-fit items: If you have custom-made curtains , plantation shutters, or blinds, leave them on the windows and doors. Hardware : If you upgraded the knobs and drawer pulls in the bathrooms and kitchen, you should either leave those behind or install replacements before you move. Alarm systems : Wireless alarm systems are designed to be removed. Otherwise, leave the alarm monitoring station attached and either relocate or cancel the monitoring service. Smoke detectors : Smoke detectors and sprinkler systems should stay in the house, especially if you plan to move before selling the house. What can you take? While you’re expected to leave some items behind, in general your belongings are yours to keep. Here are some examples: Patio furniture, lawn equipment, and play sets : If you have a wooden swing set in the backyard and a bistro table on the front porch, take those items with you. Appliances : Some lenders require that a home have an oven installed before approving a loan, but for all other appliances, it's up to you to decide what you will take and what you will offer as part of the home. Some light fixtures : Generally, homeowners leave light fixtures behind, but if you’re attached to a certain fixture, you can make arrangements with the buyer to take it. Built-in kitchen tools : If you can safely remove a mounted spice rack or the pasta arm, you can take it with you. Rugs, basic curtains, wreaths : Small decor items like rugs or curtain rods that can be safely removed can be taken. What should you consider leaving? Some of your personal items can be used to help sell your house—or increase the asking price. Before you take everything just to take it, consider offering some hot items like the following: Appliances : Homeowners, especially new homeowners, don’t always have their own appliances. Many buyers would be more likely to place an offer on a home if it came fully stocked with appliances. Custom swing and play sets : If you have a swing set or playhouse your children have outgrown and you notice a potential buyer has children, offer to include the item with the deal. Kitchen built-ins : Built-in spice racks, pantry organization, and windowsill shelves can really help sell a kitchen. Consider offering the items to an interested buyer. Light fixtures, curtains, rugs, and other upgrades : If you’ve upgraded the light fixtures or have custom rugs in the entryway, a buyer may be willing to increase his or her offer to keep those items in the home. If you’re not sure what would entice a buyer, ask your real estate agent to provide suggestions. Don't have an agent yet? Here's how to find a real estate agent in your area.
