Tips for Working from Home
As we move towards the fourth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, things are finally starting to open up a little bit. At the same time, many businesses that can operate remotely are telling their employees to work from home for the foreseeable future, or even permanently. Are you among those contemplating long-term WFH? It’s both a blessing and curse to be able to work from home. So I thought I’d remind people of healthy tips for doing it so that it can be more beneficial and less destructive.
Upgrade your workstation
Since working from home is now looking more like a long-term situation, it’s time to permanently stop hunching over your laptop on the couch or in bed. It’s time to get a proper ergonomic workstation. All the things you likely left behind at your office like supportive chairs, a proper desk, external keyboards and mice, properly elevated external monitors, etc. should all be part of the equation. I’m no expert on all the things one can do, but I do know that it’s important. I have seen many patients lately that have developed some kind of pain, whether it’s hip, or back or neck, or wrist, due to poor workstation conditions from working from home.
Are you hunched over when you’re working from home?
Pay attention to posture
Closely linked to the first one, start to notice how you’re holding your body. Are you hunched and slouching? Is your wrist craning to reach a touchpad that’s in an awkward place due to your position? The more awareness we can have of the body, the happier it will be.
Get outside every day
No exceptions, rain or shine, get outside at least for a few minutes of exercise and fresh air. It doesn’t have to be a long time, but it’s essential for both physical and mental health to get a change of scenery. When we aren’t going to and from an office, our level of physical activity can be severely limited, making it even more important to make a point to get outside and go for walks. If possible get out into nature like a beach or a park. Getting out into nature is balancing, grounding, and healing.
Listen to your body
Closely related to the point about posture, tune into your body more. Is something bothering you physically? Is something painful or tight or knotted? It’s all too easy to put our attention wholly on what’s happening on our computer screen, and to divorce ourselves completely from the body. This is a recipe for developing pain and dysfunction, especially when poor posture and poor ergonomic workstations are involved. If you’re feeling something acting up in your body, think if this as your body’s way of communicating with you that it needs more breaks, more self care and more movement.
Take breaks
I’ve heard from several people that they are so busy with Zoom meetings these days that they haven’t even had time to go to the bathroom. From a health perspective this is not good. Take breaks often, preferably ones where you move around and leave the computer! This applies to lunch breaks. Take time away from your computer to eat in a relaxed space. When we eat while stressed out, it puts tremendous stress on our Spleen.
Get up and move
Even if you’re in an online meeting, it’s still important to get up and move around some times. There is great freedom when working from home, so don’t forget to take advantage of that! Even if it means standing up in front of your computer for a bit and shaking your body while looking at the screen. Or maybe you can take phone calls while walking around your neighborhood.
Exercise daily
Even though gyms are still closed, everyone can walk in their neighborhood, do an online exercise class, or just do some jumping jacks in front of your computer. Movement is crucial to get the Qi flowing! Don’t forget to MOVE EVERY DAY!
Establish boundaries
It’s easy to overwork or underwork when working from home. Perhaps you are easily distracted by things in your environment, or perhaps you’re the opposite and can get so engrossed in your work that you end up working long into the evening without breaking. When there is no change of environment by going to or leaving an office, it’s easy for the lines to blur between work and non-work. Establishing clear boundaries can help with this. Here is a very well-done animated video about this that a patient shared with me that I thought I’d pass on.
Working from home allows for greater flexibility and freedom in setting your schedule and doing things when and how it’s best for you. Take advantage of this freedom by creating your schedule how it works best for you. Don’t think that you have to remain glued to your computer from 9am to 6pm!
