Remote working has been in the news almost constantly for the past year. People all over the world were found themselves working from their living rooms almost overnight. While being able to work from home is often seen as a great thing, what happened last year wasn’t really a good example of what remote working really is.
In an ideal situation, you get some notice. Create your home office or rent a hotdesking space, buy your equipment and start planning what your schedule will be like. Hopefully, that includes a good work-life balance and a healthy lifestyle.
What we ended up with was a sudden instruction to work from home, often while trying to homeschool kids or share space with our partners who were also trying to homework. Most places were closed and we were in the house practically 24/7.
Now that society is beginning to move towards some sense of normal, it’s time to take stock of what the last year has done to us both mentally and physically while remote working, even if you plan to continue this indefinitely.
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Aches & Pains
If you were lucky, you had a desk and a supportive chair to work from. Not everyone had that. Working from the kitchen on a dining chair, or on the sofa is terrible for posture, which in turn can cause all sorts of issues with our back neck, and shoulders. Book an appointment with a chiropractor to assess any areas that need to be treated. And if you haven’t already, get yourself a decent chair.
Re-Establish Your Boundaries
One of the greatest things about working from home is that it gives you a better work/life balance. Allegedly. The great technology that keeps us connected to our colleagues means that we’re ‘on’ 24/7. There’s no clear delineation of work and home. This way of working is sustainable for a while, but in the long term, it’s going to cause more problems with burnout, stress, and family relationships. Start setting rules or when you will and won’t be working. Let your colleagues know too.
Evaluate Your Overall Health
It seems that everywhere you look, people either came out of lockdown either much healthier than when it started or the opposite. If you were one of those people whose diet and exercise regime deteriorated, then it’s time to start undoing this and get back into healthier habits. Start small, maybe by drinking less soda or going for a walk a few times a week. Jumping into a heavy-duty lifestyle change often loses momentum pretty quickly.
You’ll soon begin to feel like your old self, or hopefully better.
Conclusion
There are so many advantages to working remotely and after the success during the pandemic, more companies are giving their employees the choice. Like any lifestyle, you have to plan things properly and set yourself up with the right equipment and routines. Hopefully, nothing like the events of the last year will ever force us into such a rapid change again and we can enjoy remote working for the benefits that it has.
