Health is the reason why much of the world is remote working due to the pandemic. If you’ve never worked remotely, or at least not as much as you do now, there are a number of specific health concerns remote workers need to think about to stay mentally and physically healthy.
Mental Health
If you are not used to working from home, then one of the things that might take you a while to get used to is the effect it can have on your mental health. A combination of being isolated from other people, being at home most of the time and working hard at your desk all day can all conspire to make you feel considerably more stressed than you might be used to, and the knock-on effect of your mental health can be profound. Make sure you are talking to other people, allowing yourself the chance to rest, and generally taking care of yourself.
Eyes & Ears
All that sitting and staring at a screen all day can be particularly damaging, and you need to try to find ways to work around it. Even if you are used to looking at screens, you might find that you end up putting in more hours at home, so all of the health effects can be magnified. In particular, you should schedule times to look away from the screen on a regular basis. That helps avoid eye strain, a common problem.
Wearing headphones all day and listening to music might help you concentrate, but you need to make sure that you are not damaging your hearing in any way. While there are many affordable hearing aids on the market today, if you can avoid damaging your ears in the first place, that would be preferred.
Standing versus Sitting
There are many health problems associated with extended sitting. If you are sitting a lot every day, you should therefore try to work against this in whatever way you can. One way to do that is to treat yourself to a standing desk. These are actually perfectly comfortable, and a handy alternative to sitting down all the time. Alternatively, simply make sure that you are standing up every now and then to have a micro break away from the desk. You should also make a point of exercising regularly, to help counteract the health problems that arise from extensive sitting.
Working remotely is the safest option right now — just remember to take care of yourself and your health at home, too.
Category: Working From HomeTags: health
