Tips For A Healthier Work At Home Environment

Ever since the coronavirus came along, more and more people have been working at home. When you spend that much time in one place, you want to make sure that it is as comfortable and healthy as possible. There are a few things you can do to make your work-at-home environment healthier.

home working

Clean Regularly

When you worked in an office, you were away from home most of the day. It was the responsibility of the cleaning people at the office to make sure that the trash was empty and the desks and counters were disinfected and wiped down. They would vacuum and clean the windows as well.

Although you are probably in the habit of cleaning your house once a week or so, it gets dirtier when you are around more often, especially if you have multiple people working from home. You may find the dishes piling up after you have eaten all three meals at home. You may also notice an overflowing trash pail or two. Be sure to clean up after yourself as you go through your day.

If you don’t take out the trash, it can attract bugs. Dirt and grime can also get into the air and make you sick.

Change your HVAC Filters

Whether you are using furnace heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summertime, your HVAC system has a filter that should be changed regularly. When you work from home all day, you are going to use the air conditioner and heater much more often than you used to.

The filter in your HVAC system will need to be replaced with greater frequency than before. If you used to change your filter once a month, you should try replacing it every two weeks. You can purchase MERV 8 filters here.

Get Some Exercise

When you were working in an office, you probably got more exercise than you do now. Even if you just had to walk to the train, and then walk from the train to your office, you are still walking quite a bit less than you used to. Gyms were closed for a long time and many people simply let their memberships expire.

Being heart-healthy is very important. You can buy a piece of exercise equipment or you can simply make time during the day to go for a long walk, do aerobics, or practice yoga.

Stock Your Fridge with Healthy Snacks

Any office is going to have a snack machine or two. Occasionally, there will be free doughnuts to reward employees for a job well done. However, If you are really honest about it, you probably have access to far more junk food at home.

When you work from your living room, it can be tempting to pour yourself a bowl of chips or grab a box of cookies whenever you are hungry and need some quick energy. At least the vending machines in your office only had snack-size treats. You are in a place where a family-size bag of chips may be just within arm’s reach, so it can be easy to get carried away.

It is a good idea to stock your fridge with veggies, hummus, and other low-calorie foods. If you make yourself some whole-grain toast as a snack Instead of grabbing a handful of chips, you will feel full longer and you will not get bigger clothes eventually.

Keep Hydrated

The office water cooler is a popular place to take a break and gossip with your coworkers. You probably drank a lot of filtered water when you worked in an office. Although there may be no coworkers to gossip with, you must remember to stay hydrated while you work. Dehydration can cause major health issues.

Avoid caffeine and sugary drinks and try to stick to water and herbal tea. Staying hydrated will give you more energy in the long run.

Remember Ergonomics

Most offices take measures to make sure that their employees have workstations that are ergonomic and comfortable. Computers are normally seated at arm’s length and monitors have a UV filter.

At home, it can be tempting to lie in bed all day with your computer perched on your knees and your head on your pillow.

You should sit in a chair with an armrest and the height of the chair should be adjusted so that your feet are on the floor. You will want a chair that keeps your hips and knees at about a 90° angle.

If anything good came out of COVID, it is the fact that so many offices have given people the option to work from home. You don’t have to deal with traffic or annoying coworkers. If you keep your work environment healthy, you will get more work done and have more energy to do what you love.

Written by Damian Allen