With the ongoing pandemic, companies and schools are mandated to let employees and students stay at home. It has pros like having a longer time to sleep and bond with the family. However, it also has its fair share of cons that everyone could encounter, like limited to no socialization and a high tendency to lose track of time. Whether it’s a mound of laundry that suddenly looks more tempting than your boss’s to-do list, or a quick three-hour binge on Netflix, there’s always something to distract you. And while we’re waiting for the pandemic to be finally over, we should do our best to stay productive and healthy while staying at home.
Below are some tips for doing so:
Exercise in the Morning
Being physically active even while staying at home is a great way to cope with all that’s happening right now. For example, doing a 30-minute HIIT workout or power yoga in the morning will help you get through the day. So why should you do it in the morning? Experts say that exercising in the morning will force your body to produce endorphins chemicals to make you happy and feel good.
Another reason why you should exercise is to make your bones strong. But how can you know if you have strong bones? One accurate method is a bone scan, an imaging test used to diagnose bone abnormalities usually brought by low bone density. It uses a minimal amount of a radioactive substance known as a radiopharmaceutical safely. Therefore, increasing your bone density should be your top priority which you can do by exercising, eating healthy, and taking at least 1,000 mg of calcium through supplements and calcium-rich food.
Create a To-Do List
Working from home, especially when you are new to it, is a double-edged sword. You can either be so productive and get your work done early or lose track of time and procrastinate the whole day. To resolve this, you need to create a to-do list of all your tasks. But, you need to make sure that you only list down the most important ones. Make it achievable because, according to a study, 41% of to-do lists are never accomplished.
Eat Healthy Food
To be productive throughout the day, a person needs to eat as much healthy food as possible. Make sure to fill most of your plate with greens like kale, lettuce, or spinach but do not forget about proteins like chicken, legumes, and eggs. Drinking coffee in the morning is fine as long as your water intake is sufficient (at least 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women). Eating healthy also means cooking your food, and there are many videos online that will teach you how to prepare your meals for the day.
Follow a Daily Routine
One of the cons of staying at home all the time is the lack of structure or routine. So, experts recommend that you create one for the weekdays and also for the weekend. This tip is relatively simple because you just need to write how you want your day to start and end. However, what’s hard about it is sticking to the schedule, but your body will get used to it as time goes by. Getting work done as early as possible is recommended, so waking up at 7 am is a good start.
Look For Ways to Socialize
Being isolated from your office mates and friends can affect your mental health a lot. It is true especially to those natural extroverts wherein talking to people makes their minds clear and less anxious. Fortunately, we live in modern times, so speaking to them is easily accessible through the internet. You can either do it before you start your day, while having your lunch break or before you sleep. Catching up with friends and family to socialize will help you go through these challenging times.
Take Breaks from Time to Time
Many people often disregard it, especially now that almost everyone is working from home – taking breaks. Because of the loss of track of time, we often forget to take breaks from looking at the monitors of computers. You can set at least three intervals for the day: one in the morning, one at lunch, and one before you end the workday. By doing so, you can rest your eyes and stretch your body and eat your food to give you energy.
Allocate a Working Space
You don’t need a separate room or huge area to allocate as your working space. What you need is a spot in your home where you can do things productively. If you have the budget, you can buy sturdy and space-saving desks to set up your computer. But if you are still saving up for something else, using an old desk or your dining table is just fine as long as you can peacefully do your work.
Discover New Hobbies
Being productive does not mean that you need to work throughout the day constantly. It also means finding new hobbies that can improve your quality of life. These hobbies are a few: reading a book, crocheting, cooking different cuisines, and buying plants. And always remember, taking care of your well-being is still the most critical factor in life.