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With the rising Corona infection numbers, we're spending more time in the home office again. Virtual collaboration in the team works well for most, and many companies were able to successfully establish a digital meeting structure as well as digital tools in their workflow through the crisis.
But working from home brings, alongside many positive aspects, certain challenges too. More flexible working hours and the elimination of commutes to the office are clear advantages. But in the home office, your own motivation, a healthy diet and enough movement can become a real challenge.
The boundaries between job and private life can quickly blur
When work in your own four walls continues over a long period, motivation flags for many. This is often because working in the home office blurs the boundaries between job and private life.
In the home office, your own couch quickly becomes not only a place of relaxation, but also a workplace. Since remote work is often more flexible, you can also get some housework done in between or have lunch together with the family. Now and then that's fine, but constant interruptions can reduce productivity and create the feeling that you actually have something to do around the clock.
The home office can become a mental and physical strain
Emails you quickly check before bed, or the dinner you gulp down because something important still has to be done, can raise your stress level. In the long run this is an enormous mental strain that can rob you of your strength and motivation.
Your social life can also suffer in the home office. If you no longer see your colleagues daily and spend most of the time alone at home, you can quickly feel lonely, which can have a negative effect on the psyche.
On top of that, in the home office, the proximity of the fridge means work and eating are closer together and snacking at the laptop can be tempting. Because you stay at home more often, you automatically move less and burn fewer calories, which means additional kilos quickly accumulate in the home office.
What's important for mental and physical health in the home office
Unfortunately it's not yet foreseeable how long the current exceptional situation will last. So that working from home doesn't become a strain and lead to your physical and mental health deteriorating, it's important that the three big components that make up your health don't get out of balance:
Your mental health
Fixed working hours and scheduled breaks that you don't spend in front of the screen create structure. Structure helps you be efficient and productive and actually get your daily tasks done. Alongside a temporal framework, also create a spatial framework where possible. Set up a workplace where there are no objects that can distract you. This way you can create clear boundaries between work and private life and really enjoy your free time.
It's also important to create a social balance and have regular positive social contacts. Try not to settle everything by email, but talk to your colleagues more often via video call. The time you save through the commute you can use to meet friends after work.
A healthy diet
Working in the home office can also mean an opportunity for a healthier diet. Because at home you can decide for yourself what goes on the plate and are no longer dependent on food trucks and canteen food. There are also no sinful temptations like a colleague's birthday cake lurking for you.
In the home office you have the possibility to eat consciously and keep your sugar consumption under control. Avoid ready meals, which usually contain many unhealthy ingredients and hidden sugar, and rely above all on fresh foods with good fibre, proteins and healthy fats. This way you supply your body with all the important nutrients, stay full for a long time and can work with concentration.
Enough movement
Especially in the home office, it's important that you move enough. The time you've gained through the saved commute you can ideally use to start your day with movement. You can also spend your lunch break outdoors in the fresh air on a relaxed walk. Movement and oxygen help you continue working more productively afterwards. With a small workout after work is done, you can clear your head, release tension and start your evening relaxed.
Conclusion: more productive and satisfied in the home office with a healthy work-life balance
Working independently in the home office requires a lot of self-discipline and self-organisation. But above all also the effort to counteract physical and psychological problem areas. With a healthy work-life balance, good time and stress management, movement and healthy nutrition, you'll be able to work not only productively and efficiently, but also successfully and contentedly in the home office.