Abolish the Work-From-Home Blues

These days, so many of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home. I know quite a few women who have recently transitioned from full-time jobs in the office to working from the comfort of their own house. It’s a fantastic option if you’ve got small children at home, as well as an opportunity to balance your professional and personal needs without too many compromises. Most women relish the opportunity to be able fetch their kids from school, while still being part of a corporate set-up and keeping their skill sets sharp.

However, there’s a downside to this newly gained freedom. Many females I know report that since they’ve been working from home, they’ve gained weight or become more lethargic.

Yes, at first working from home seems like a dream: no early morning commute, no gossip/coffee breaks, no doughnuts to tempt you. But being in the house all day also poses certain health challenges. No commute can translate to less activity. The coffee break may vanish, but cake breaks to fill in that extra time may creep in. And the siren call of the refrigerator never stops. The fact that you never ever leave work can also make it hard to make a clean break at the end of the day.

However, with a few self-imposed rules and some structure, it is possible to stay fit and healthy while working from home. Here are some tips.

1. Maintain a schedule. One of the mistakes you can easily make when working from home is to let routine fly out of the window. Some structure is crucial for staying on the straight and narrow. The important thing is not to just roll out of bed and into work. Create a daily plan. Start work at the same time every day, and try and stop at the same time too. Pencil in lunch and snack breaks. Make sure to add in workout time.

2. Dress for work. The temptation (and luxury) of going to work in yoga pants is a strong one. Resist it. Dress for work every single day. For one, it will remind you that you are at work even if you’re still at home. Remember, yoga pants are very forgiving, so a 10-pound weight gain may go entirely unnoticed if this is your uniform. For some of you, that may be fine, but for me, wearing tailored work clothes every day helps me resist that extra chocolate chip cookie that’s singing to me from the cookie jar. However, there is another school of thought that says that wearing comfortable workout clothes may inspire you to move more. The important thing is to know yourself and your needs, and then dress accordingly.

3. Plan your meals. Working from home can actually be a blessing when it comes to healthy eating. You can now plan and cook healthy meals for yourself rather than pick on a boring cafeteria salad. You won’t be tempted by the free Friday bagels or office lunch soirees or après-work drinks. However, do not leave things up to chance. Stock your kitchen with fresh and healthy foods. Plan your meals in advance, and take lunch and snack breaks on time. Do not eat at your desk or while on the phone. Eat your lunch at your dining table. Keep mid-afternoon hunger pangs away with flavored water or green tea.

4. Keep moving. When working from home, you can actually work from anywhere in the house. All you need is your laptop. However, it’s best to set up a designated work space, if not a designated room for yourself. Working from your bed or patio may not be the best way to do it. But no matter where you sit, make sure you get up and move from time to time, to keep your blood circulating and those calories burning. Set a timer on your laptop or download a reminder app on your phone, and walk for 10 minutes around the house after every 90 minutes of sitting. You could even do yoga stretches or jumping jacks to get your heart pumping. Be innovative. A friend of mine has even traded in her chair for an exercise ball!

5. Make rules. One of things you need to avoid is overwork. With no commute, it’s easy to start early and carry on until well after the time you would have normally stopped back at the office. Holidays or weekends may not be relevant when you work from home, and neither may be vacations. But overwork, either at home or at the office, can be detrimental to your health. Mindless eating and not moving enough can pack on the pounds and the stress. You now have the luxury of a flexible work schedule. Join an aerobics class, take a meditation break. Enjoy your flexibility

6. Fight boredom. Working from home can feel very isolating at first. Suddenly you have no office mates and can do pretty much as you please. The first couple of weeks might be great fun, but after that you might find yourself longing for a community of co-workers, or even the background noise of office hustle and bustle. Staring at a screen on your ownsome lonesome all day may actually start to get boring. Anticipate this feeling and be armed with strategies to overcome it. Make regular phone calls or Skype with someone you do business with, instead of just emailing. Set up lunch meetings outside the home at least a couple times a week.

Staying healthy while working from home can be challenging, but with some planning and thought, you can make it a fabulous and healthy experience.