Over the past few years, remote work has become popular—not only out of necessity (in come cases) but for convenience, too. In fact, as working from home stats reflect, the opportunity to work remotely can have many benefits: on mental health, work-life balance, and overall engagement with one’s profession. 

However, there are, of course, some drawbacks to working remotely. This is namely around physical health and wellness. . . and in particular, the challenge to exercise/physical movement and diet. As more people are spending time at home, more hours are spent working (and sitting). While many people have been able to inject movement in new ways, for others, the physical aspect (in or out of the house) has proven to be more challenging. Others have also faced challenges to their diet and/or eating habits now in a space where food is readily available.

Regardless of whether you’ve faced these challenges or not, here are some ways to improve your physical health while working remotely. Hopefully these tips can help you plan for now, or for the future.

1. Keep A Consistent Routine

One of the biggest benefits of working outside of a physical office is the fact that hours are flexible. In fact, for many the traditional 9-5 is scrapped (but this, of course, is subject to what you do for work).

Regardless of your schedule, though, it’s important to still maintain a structure. Having a solid structure will allow you to keep your work organized and consistent. This can be as simple as a daily bed/wakeup time, or as specific as mealtimes, exercise times, and ‘sign off’ times to help you maintain a work-life balance.

2. Prioritize Your Rest

Regardless of what you do for work, you should invest in your health. This means getting enough sleep every night! One of the best ways to improve your physical health while working from home is to make your bedtime (and bedtime routines) a priority.

Ideally, you should get around seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Getting your sleep in not only helps with processing information, but sleep will also help your body heal, as well as boost your immune system. 

3. Find & Add Positive Movement Each Week

It’s no secret that exercise makes you feel better physically and mentally. But did you know that regular exercise can help you out with your productivity? Yep! You’re going to be inclined to be more productive if you have exercise within your daily schedule.

So, aim to fill the gaps in your day with some exercise! You can schedule daily walks (alone or with loved ones/pets), head to the gym, or even create a work-from-home workout routine that you can do anywhere! There are also bikes with desks so that you can move without even leaving your desk!

Regardless of what you do, doing something can help you to feel regulated, positive, and improve your physical health while working remotely. 

4. Avoid Processed & Fast Food When Possible

One of the best decisions you can make for yourself is to avoid processed and fast food whenever possible. While it may feel tempting to order something to go, grab a quick snack from your pantry, or sneak a treat here and there, it’s not the best for your health. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you can never have junk food. . . it just means that you should try to focus on healthier choices (especially when you’re working from home and in a space where it’s easy to snack).

Outside of meal prepping (both your lunches and snacks), you can also consider a delivery service like HelloFresh, where you don’t have to think about making healthy choices—they’re made for you!

Other Ideas:

Ultimately, one of the most important ways to improve your physical health, especially if you’re working from home, is to make health a priority! While it’s challenging to put yourself and your needs first, try to focus on ways you can facilitate balance and peace in your day-to-day and stick to this as much as possible.

Also ask the people around you (roommates, family, friends, or even coworkers!) to hold you accountable and/or come alongside you. While working remotely can, at times, feel a little lonely, you don’t have to be alone. . . in work or in your health journey!

For more tips and ideas, head to our blog page!