Has the pandemic influenced your company’s working pattern, and now you’ve somehow found yourself working from home? Are days starting to seem alike? Do you find yourself running on little hours of sleep and working past midnight? Is all of this taking a toll on your body, and mental health? Well, me too.
At first sight, working from home seems great and convenient until you find yourself in your sleep wear from the night before, gobbling down comfort food and trying to finish a report before a 12pm deadline hits. Now you’re staring at your food baby and the cornrows you made 2 weeks ago, promising yourself you’re going to finally get into that wellness routine next month – November just started sis, get into it now. This is the reminder you need. Bookmark this, we’re starting today.
Here‘s a few tested and trusted practical tips to get you feeling good again if you’re working from home.
- Make a habit of drinking plenty of water
It’s so convenient to make a habit of drinking fluids only when you’re eating or when you actually feel thirsty, but you know that I know that you know that’s just wrong for your body. On an average, our body requires that we drink about 12 cups of water a day (for women) and about 16 cups a day (for men). If you’re finding it a bit difficult to stick to that pattern, you can always get a handy water bottle to remind you to keep drinking water consistently throughout the day. If you prefer, you can cut in a few thin slices of lemon and cucumber into your water, so you have healthy flavored water.
- Morning routines
You tell yourself the night before that you’ll do this and that, but somehow you just never do. My opinion is, start it simple. There’s no need to break into a 30 minute fitness routine (just yet). Just start out with a few jumping jacks, a couple of pushups and squats, a little skipping here and a little lifting of dumbbells there, and you’re good to go.
Okay, seriously. Your day will always start off with the best energy when you do morning exercises. Start easy, and it’ll gradually grow on you.
- Take walk breaks
Set an alarm 2-3 hours apart, throughout your working hours. Each time the alarm rings, get up, play a great song and just stretch and walk around the room. Your blood flow and body muscles will thank you for it.
- Take supplements
Supplements are a great way to make sure you’re getting vitamins into your body. For instance, you aren’t actually going in to work anymore so it’s harder to get some Vitamin D (the vitamin we get from sunlight.) Supplements have just the right dose of the vitamin you need, or sometimes a multi-vitamin mix. These days, they come in easy to-go bottles and you can always pop one into your mouth or into your water depending on the acidity.
- Set up a mini home office
If you’re going to be working from home for an extended period of time, then you might need to consider building a little home office for yourself, particularly – for your backbone. If you’re anything like me, then you’re usually sitting up on your bed typing on your computer, and not properly resting your back on a 90 degrees back support chair. (Not me doing this same thing right now – oops.) The thing is, you don’t even realize that you’re hurting yourself until you feel a slight back ache and then try to adjust. Building a simple home office with a chair, table and a little aesthetic (like a table flower plant) would go a long way.
- Take a bath in the morning and get dressed!
Try not to start the day by checking your e-mails in your oversized tees from the night before, okay?
- Real food > Junk food
Note to self: Limit the number of times you order ice-cream cakes from that Instagram Vendor and stop eating Pizzas every week. There’s food at home, and this time – you’re actually at home.
- Take breaks off the screen
And when I say screen, yes, I mean your phone too. It’s so unhealthy to stare at a screen all day and all night. It starts to reflect badly on your eyes, and you don’t want that. Take a walk outside, read a hard copy book, play a card game with family, walk your dog/cat and so on. Whatever you do, just leave the screen for a little while.
- Prioritize your sleep schedule
Because work no dey finish, so don’t let them run you streets. Stay strict to your sleep schedule, which I hope is at least 7-8 hours, and you’ll be surprised by how much more you’ll accomplish while working, because now your brain & mind are well rested.
- Make Self-care a thinggg
It’s so easy to get into a routine of work, meetings and deadlines that you almost never have a ‘me time’ anymore. I always get lost in the mindset of “but I’m not even going anywhere” when it comes to making my hair, getting my nails done or just pampering myself. I find that I consciously have to put it on a to-do list to actually get up and do something for ME.
It doesn’t have to be getting glammed up every Friday. Sometimes, it’s just a long shower in the bathroom listening to great music, sometimes it’s taking yourself on a movie date. Whatever it is, make self care days a thing!
