The freedom brought about by working at home, at your own pace, feeling like your own boss, and not having to commute to work in the dreaded peak hours, sure is exhilarating. But the drastic transformation of work-space from an office to home, with limited human interactions soon sets in cabin fever. With the upcoming festive season and the Omicron variant of COVID 19 being the talk of the town, here are a few tips to cut the crazy, dial down the stress, and work remotely whilst being happy and healthy.
01. EXPLAIN EXPECTATIONS
Your recent availability at home can misalign expectations ,expecting you to be accessible even during work hours.
Talk to your family and set reasonable expectations highlighting the fact that during work hours, work is the number one priority. This will help you prevent damaging personal as well as official relationships.
02. HAVE A MORNING ROUTINE
The mentality to start whenever you want is freedom without a routine. This leads to a slower start, wasting time procrastinating which ultimately leads to a longer, unsatisfactory finish. Define a morning routine, by setting an alarm, grabbing a cup of coffee, and changing out of those pajamas into regular clothing, to mentally transform your brain to wake up and supercharge for the day!
03. CREATE A DEDICATED WORK NOOK
Strategically creating a comfortable home base to isolate yourself and mitigate any form of domestic distraction is vital to work productively.
Also, avoid slouching over a couch and invest in an ergonomic chair instead. Slouching physiologically causes your ribs to invade the space meant for the lungs and diaphragm, restricting complete lung expansion when you take a breath in, which in return compromises total oxygen intake and supply to the rest of the body, making your brain feel lazy very soon.
04. REMEMBER TO CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT
Studies have shown that the Beta wave activity in the brain associated with cumulative stress, is known to increase with over 2 hours of continuous work as opposed to remaining steady with intermittent breaks.
As motivated as you may feel some days, beware of the temptation to overwork, even when you are cranking over a deadline.
05. EAT REAL FOOD
Incorporate meal prep into your routine and consciously avoid stocking up on unhealthy snacks. Complete your work area with a bottle of water and stay hydrated.
Dehydration leads to electrolyte imbalances in minerals like sodium causing hindrance to your cognition.
06. GET ADEQUATE SLEEP
The circadian clock of the human body regulates sleep by producing the greatest amount of melatonin (sleep hormone) between 10 pm to 2 am, which influences Human growth hormone secretion (HGH).
HGH helps the body by burning fat, repairing collagen, cell reproduction, body tissue regeneration, bone density improvement, and immunity enhancement.
Hence, avoid erratic sleep-wake cycles as a good night’s sleep is important to proactively prepare yourself physically and mentally for the next working day.
07. MOVE IT!
Weight gain due to stagnation while working from home and attending virtual meetings was a massive problem that arose in the recent past.
It does not necessarily mean you have to hit the gym but studies show that even short 10-minute bouts of accumulated exercises are as efficient as long, time-consuming workouts.
Also, intentionally in-cooperate activities like walking while taking a call!
08. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.
One of the biggest disadvantages of WFH is, it eventually becomes lonely, making you feel like a hermit and triggering depression.
Create platforms to connect with your friends and family via zoom or skype. It induces happy hormones, providing mental strength to stay focused.
09. SELF CARE
Indulge in self-care! Invest in a skincare routine or learn a new skill. These are natural ways of boosting dopamine (the desire hormone) in your brain.
Increasing your self-worth and being content, leads to serotonin production (the feel-good hormone), which helps long-term mental and physical well-being.
