The very thought of working from home might have made you incredibly uncomfortable when COVID-19 first hit, but if you've adjusted in the meantime, that's good news. Remote work isn't going anywhere. In the US alone, research that looked into the future of remote work showed, nearly 60 percent of employees had jobs that could be done at least partly from home, and in the very near future, 25 to 30 percent of the working population will experience a distinct blurring of the lines between work and home as they settle into permanently remote work.
When you work somewhere that isn't your home, you might at least have the opportunity to incorporate exercise in the form of activities like cycling or walking to your job, but that's easily lost as you find it hard to maintain a consistent routine and (unless you're very careful) more and more of your life is sneakily coopted into job-related activities that keep you tied to your desk.
Since the pandemic hit, there's been a lot of talk about the potential negative mental health impact of working from home, and that's important. If we're going to be doing this for the long haul, though, it's crucial to push physical health up our priority list. What can you start doing right away to boost your physical health while working from home? What might you consider for the long-term? Let's take a look!
Optimizing your workspace to avoid aches and pains
Offices and other workplaces where employees perform desk jobs will typically at least have invested in semi-OK ergonomic office furniture. If you're new to working from home, you may simply take your laptop over to the kitchen table, where you sit on a chair that might be comfy while you're eating but that's very much not designed to be sat on for eight+ hours. Others, especially those living in studio apartments, are even worse off as they only have a couch or bed from which to do their work.
In fact, research discovered that of the people working from home:
- 56.9 percent used kitchen chairs, which do not have adjustable heights and frequently don't have arm rests either.
- 86.3 percent of remote workers used tables that didn't possess an adjustable height, whether the kitchen table (usually slightly taller) or a purposely designed desk.
- Desktop and laptop computers were both popular, and in most cases, the monitor height cannot be adjusted.
These less-than-optimal working environments, research conducted since the emergence of COVID-19 has found, increase your risk of lower back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal problems associated with significant aches and pains, quite a bit. To decrease your risk of random aches and pains that follow you throughout your day, you can:
- Invest in an ergonomic office or gaming chair with an adjustable height, as well as looking into purchasing a desk with an adjustable height or even looking into a standing desk. These are significant investments. In some cases, your employer may pay for them.
- Move your keyboard away from the edge of your desk or table at least 15 cm.
- Use a foot stool if your chair is too high for you. Use a firm pillow to prop yourself up if your chair is not high enough.
- If you have several work stations available but none are optimal, consider rotating throughout the day so that you are not in the same posture for too long.
Making sure you get up every hour
Unless you are already using a standing desk (and maybe even then), make absolutely sure to get up from your desk once every hour for at least five minutes to move your body around. Do some stretching exercises. Walk around. Do your carpal tunnel exercises. Don't feel guilty — if you think nothing of interrupting your work to go to the toilet or make a cup of coffee, it should certainly be fine to allow yourself some basic physical movement, no?
Incorporate breaks
Don't eat at your desk. It's not good for your computer and it will drain your productivity by making you feel like you never get a break. If you need a guide, take breaks at the same times you'd have had them when you went to work outside of the home. Don't let work invade your sleep by answering emails or doing other small tasks in the bedroom before you nod off. The blue light is detrimental to your sleep quality, and let's face it, we all need some "me time". Many remote workers report that they have become less productive since working from home, but the flip side of that is that you may stretch your work out over the entire day, never truly getting the sense that you have free time. Stress might be a mental health issue primarily, but don't kid yourself — it has physical effects, too.
Stay hydrated and eat well
This one should fall into the "Captain Obvious" category, but probably doesn't. I, for one, know all too well how easy it is to get sucked into a project, either because you're really feeling it or because of constant pressure to be productive, to the point where you forget to eat and drink for long periods of time. No, that coffee that's keeping you awake does not count.
A final word
Most people who began working from home since the pandemic started reported equal job satisfaction and less stress, so there's a definite upside to the continued trend of remote work. Lacking the structure and camaraderie an office provides, on the other hand, you're going to have to take self-care entirely into your own hands. Move around, take breaks, eat well and drink water, and try to see if you can get a dedicated workspace that meets your physical needs.
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