10 Expert Tips to Stay Healthy While Working Remotely
Working remotely has many perks, including no commute, more flexibility, and the freedom to wear comfortable clothes all day. However, it also comes with a few challenges, and some may impact your health and well-being.
Without the structure of an office environment, it’s easy to slip into bad habits, such as skipping breaks, sitting for too long, or working late into the night. That’s why learning how to stay healthy while working remotely from home is essential to your overall well-being and productivity.
Whether you’re new to remote work or you’re a seasoned remote worker, these 10 expert-backed tips will help you prioritize your health while maintaining energy, focus, and balance throughout your workday.
10 Tips for Remote Work Wellness
Staying healthy while working remotely from home isn’t just about avoiding burnout; it’s about building daily habits that support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The simple wellness tips outlined below can help you work smarter and feel better.
1. Stick to a Routine
You may have heard the saying, “What gets scheduled gets done.” Creating a schedule for your day ensures you make time for your health and well-being while also staying on top of your work tasks.
To establish and stick to a healthy routine:
- Aim to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
- Start your day with a regimen, such as a quick workout after breakfast or morning meditation after a shower.
- Consider when your energy and focus begin to wane and schedule breaks during those times, such as lunch breaks that allow you to eat a nutritious meal away from your desk.
- Set an end time for your workday with a simple shutdown routine. For example, you might tidy your desk or create a task list for the next workday before logging off.
A consistent daily schedule can help you separate work time from personal time, which is a key part of remote work wellness that will encourage healthy habits and reduce stress and burnout while increasing productivity.
2. Create a Dedicated Workspace
Working from home can blur the line between work and personal time. While working from your bed or couch may be tempting, doing so long-term can result in unhealthy consequences. Not only is it hard on your muscles and bad for your posture, but it can also negatively impact your ability to be productive.
Alternatively, creating a designated area for work helps your brain switch into “focus mode.” Likewise, keeping your work area separate from your personal spaces will make it easier to “unplug” at the end of the day.
If you’re short on space, don’t worry. You don’t need an entire room to work from, you just need to set up your workspace in a quiet, functional, and comfortable area with minimal distractions. Consider whether any areas of your home aren’t utilized during the workweek that you can transition into a workspace. Even if you need to set up and break down your workspace each day, this habit will create a mental break between work time and home time.
3. Take Care of Your Eyes
Working from home can mean looking at computer screens for several hours per day. Plus, improper screen height, distance, and poor lighting can make it harder for your eyes to adjust, causing eye strain and headaches.
To reduce eye strain, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends positioning your screen at or below your eye level and approximately 25 inches away. Furthermore, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends taking a 15-minute break from looking at screens after two continuous hours.
To further reduce your risk of eye strain, adjust your screen’s brightness, and consider using blue light glasses to protect your vision. You can also try the “20-20-20 Rule”—every 20 minutes, look at an object that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds to neutralize the effects of long periods of screen time.
4. Pay Attention to Ergonomics
One commonly overlooked way to stay healthy while working remotely is by paying attention to the ergonomics of your workspace. Working in awkward positions or performing repetitive motions without proper positioning and support can result in back and shoulder pain or more serious injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides several tips and guidelines for creating an ergonomic workspace at home, including:
- Seating: Choose an office chair with armrests, and make sure your feet rest flat on the floor with your hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. If you can alternate between sitting and standing to vary your posture, even better.
- Monitor & Display: Reduce or eliminate screen glare by working perpendicular to windows or adjusting your blinds. If you work from a laptop, invest in a larger second external monitor if you can. Otherwise, you may need to increase the font size on your laptop and take breaks more frequently.
- Keyboard & Mouse: An external keyboard and mouse can support proper arm and wrist positioning. Keep your wrists as close to neutral as possible, with your elbows at a 90- to 120-degree angle, and avoid resting your forearms or wrists on an unpadded or cornered edge of your work surface.
If you don’t have an ergonomic office chair, get creative! Use cushions to support the natural curve of your lumbar spine, and place a box or cushion on the floor to use as a foot rest if needed. You can also find inexpensive wrist rests for your keyboard or mouse at any office supply store, which will be well worth the investment in the long run.
5. Go Outside
The benefits of sunlight and fresh air should not be underestimated when it comes to health. Getting outside during the day encourages movement, reduces anxiety, improves sleep quality, and boosts your immune system.
Even a 10-minute walk during your lunch break can boost your mood and energy. If you can’t go far, spending a few minutes in your backyard or on your balcony or porch can also give you a much-needed reset.
If you can’t get outside during the day, try to get natural light by working near a window (but be mindful of screen glare, as suggested above). You can also bring the outdoors inside by having houseplants in your workspace. Indoor plants have several benefits, such as better concentration, reduced stress, and improved air quality.
6. Set Healthy Boundaries
When your home becomes your office, it’s easy to let work time creep into personal time, which can disrupt your work-life balance. To protect your focus, productivity, and downtime, set clear boundaries. Communicate your availability with your team, log off at consistent times, and silence work-related notifications after hours.
If other people are home while you work, such as your partner or kids, you’ll also need to set boundaries with them. Establish “office hours” and communicate the importance of minimizing distractions while you’re working. It may be helpful to put a “do not disturb” sign or other indicator to visually remind others of quiet focus times.
Setting healthy boundaries while working remotely also means taking adequate time off. If you need a sick day, take it. It’s better to take the time to rest and recover than to try to work when you’re not at your best. And when you do take a day off, avoid logging in to “just do one quick thing.” It can wait until you return to work rested and well.
7. Prioritize Good Nutrition
Working from home can lead to poor nutritional habits. Some remote workers may skip meals, while others graze on snacks all day. As such, it can be beneficial to create a plan to eat healthy while working remotely.
Plan balanced meals with plenty of whole foods, and keep healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts, or yogurt, within reach. Preparing nutritious meals and snacks in advance will encourage you to stick to your plan and make it easier to eat a healthy breakfast or lunch, even when you’re pressed for time during the workday.
Staying hydrated is just as important as what you eat. Keep a small bottle or glass of water at your desk, and refill it throughout the day. Not only will you boost your water intake, but this habit has the added benefit of helping you take more frequent breaks from sitting at your desk.
8. Incorporate Movement Into Your Day
Sitting for hours at a time takes a toll on your body, and scientists have long warned that prolonged sitting increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.
However, Columbia University Medical Center found that engaging in light activity for just five minutes every half hour comes with health benefits, like stable blood sugar levels. Even one minute of activity every half hour can lower blood pressure, so add small bursts of movement to your day to take advantage of these health benefits.
You don’t need a full gym setup to stay active while working remotely, either. Stretch or walk around during calls, or try a standing desk with an under-desk treadmill or an elliptical pedal to keep moving while you work. If you don’t have any equipment, you can do seated leg lifts, shoulder rolls, or even wall push-ups to incorporate movement.
9. Take Regular Breaks
Breaks are not a luxury, they’re a necessity. As we’ve mentioned in the previous tips, it’s crucial to your health to step away from your screen from time to time to stretch, breathe, and rest your eyes.
Short breaks throughout the day improve focus, creativity, and overall health because they give your mind and body a chance to rest and recharge. However, what you do during these breaks matters. For example, taking a break from work to scroll social media isn’t as effective as taking a short walk outside. In fact, looking at social media on your breaks can diminish creativity and lead to emotional exhaustion.
Importantly, the frequency and timing of breaks often matter more than the duration of breaks. A five-minute break can be enough to boost your productivity and reduce fatigue. Moreover, shorter breaks are most effective in the morning, while longer breaks can revive you in the afternoon, especially if you experience an after-lunch slump.
10. Manage Your Mental Health
Working remotely can sometimes feel isolating, especially if you live alone or miss the social aspects of office life. To avoid feelings of loneliness and isolation as a remote worker, you’ll need to proactively make time for connection, whether it’s a virtual coffee chat with coworkers, a lunch meetup, or a quick call to a friend.
Consider taking up mindfulness practices, such as journaling, yoga, or meditation, to manage stress and prevent burnout. It can also be helpful to make time for self-care and hobbies that provide opportunities for social interaction outside of your home. Having something to look forward to and enjoying a change of scenery can improve your mood and support your overall well-being.
Remember, your mental well-being is just as important as your physical health, and they’re closely connected. If you’re struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Stay Healthy and Thrive While Working From Home
The benefits of working from home are abundant, but staying healthy while working from home takes intention. From setting up your workspace to promote focused work and healthy ergonomics to taking care of your body and mind through movement, breaks, and balanced nutrition, small daily habits can make a big difference in your overall remote work wellness and productivity.
If you want a healthier, more balanced remote work life, start by putting these tips into practice today. And if you’re still on the hunt for a job that allows you to work remotely from home, explore our remote job listings, which are updated every day with new opportunities in over 50 career categories!
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By Emily Hastings | Categories: Work Remotely
