7 Must-Know Health Tips for Remote Employees: Remote work can be beneficial in many ways, but it can also present some health challenges. It is important to address these issues earlier and follow certain health tips to maintain optimal wellness while working from home.
The Risk of Remote Work
Remote jobs are increasingly becoming more common in various workforces. Even with the pandemic restrictions lifted and employees having the option to return to their workplace, some businesses and organisations see the benefit of remote work for employees.
When most people think about remote work, they associate it with being able to wake up late, working in their pyjamas, and not worrying about traffic jams. And while some of these are partially true, remote working can affect physical and mental health.
For this reason, it is important to be aware of the potential downsides of working remotely.
Other arrays of challenges that come with this work setups may include:
- Constant feelings of isolation
- Lack of motivation or trouble focusing on important matters
- Constantly managing disruptions (connectivity issues, poor working conditions, etc.)
- Finding a work-life balance
- Feeling overwhelmed when working or feeling of burnout
- Difficulty maintaining healthy eating habits
- Difficulty getting the recommended level of exercise/physical activity
- Difficulty establishing a healthy sleeping pattern
Getting the work done is important. But staying healthy in all aspects (physical, mental, social) is just as important for remote employees.
To achieve the work-life balance for successful working, learn to create boundaries between work and personal life and follow these health tips below.
7 Must-Know Health Tips for Remote Employees
As the challenges of remote working may affect the employees’ physical, mental, and social health, it is important to take steps to maintain all aspects of overall well-being. These may include the following:
Set up a routine
The whole point of remote work is not committing to the standard 9 to 5 office routine. However, having some structure when working remotely is important to stay organised and separate work time from chill time.
Make time for yourself.
While taking your work tasks seriously, it is also important to allot time away from work. To avoid being overwhelmed with work, enjoy quality time indoors and outdoors.
Give yourself time to enjoy things you like, such as walking on the beach, playing video games, or spending time with your family and friends.
Making time for yourself away from work is extremely important, especially when working remotely. It is very easy to get lost in the rhythm, so make your health a priority.
Exercise regularly
It is no secret that employees (whether at the office or working remotely) who engage in regular exercise activity tend to feel better, have more energy, and thus be more productive.
Investing a little time and effort in doing exercises is proven to boost productivity and, on top of that, promote overall good health. Find an enjoyable physical exercise that will get you out of your home office and help you get back into shape.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
Remote work can disrupt your normal sleep schedule as you spend more time at home. However, sticking to the same wake time and bedtime contributes to good sleep quality, a crucial aspect of self-care.
Without quality sleep, you may find yourself tired and sleepy throughout the day, with big fluctuations in energy levels.
Carve out a designated workspace
For most remote workers, it is true that your laptop is considered the “office.” However, it is a good practice to have a space solely for work purposes, even if that means a small corner of the room. Ditch the couch and get a real work chair that is proven to boost your attention, energy, and even your sense of confidence when doing remote work.
Keep your workspace tidy to boost the feelings of motivation even more. There is a certain feeling that comes with having an organised, designated space for working.
Take breaks
Avoid making a daunting list of to-dos that can threaten your stress level to soar. Have a general grasp of what you’d like to accomplish in a certain time, and when tackling those projects, always take a break in between.
To avoid burnout, work in designated hours and stop when these hours are up. Give your brain enough time to work and get its well-needed rest.
Open communication on mental health
Regardless of the work setting, employers must provide a safe space online for employees to talk about mental health. The topics surrounding poor mental health should not be taboo; instead, there must be an open communication space for employees to come forward with fears or concerns.
Remote work comes with the inevitable risk of isolation and increased anxiety among workers.
To create a mentally supportive environment for everyone, the management should initiate a conversation about mental health. The management should address the mental challenges of remote work and normalise the conversation surrounding this topic to remove all stigma.
Only then will the management be in a position to meaningfully support their remote employees with their mental health.
Learn First Aid
Remote work is great as it allows us to organise our lives better, spend more time with loved ones, and save operational costs for employers. And if practised well, working remotely can be empowering and can lead to greater happiness for employees.
However, this work setup is not all roses and unicorns. Remote working comes with unique challenges in terms of looking after one’s physical, mental, and overall well-being.
Hopefully, with the combination of first aid courses and mental health first aid training, everyone can achieve a healthy work-life balance.
If you are keen to learn about first aid training, check out our course page and how you can provide a safe work approach to your employees, even at home.
