Let’s be clear that we are not ‘working from home’, we are ‘working at home in the middle of a Pandemic!’
So, we have all tried our best to find ways to adapt to this new way of working with no rule book.
Yes, many people have worked from home, with their partners maybe, have we done that with only essential services open? With limited access to our external environment not out of choice? Or with the rest of our connections also working from home?
So now we are deep into this lockdown. We are learning our own rules for what’s working and not working.
During this quarantine, I’ve spent a lot of time with my online community. I’m sharing my experience of how to create a healthy lifestyle and hearing what’s really shifting the needle for others. Thankfully, I’m not seeing too much movement away from these essentials.
Here are my top 3 tips;
Set up a workspace that’s dedicated to work and work only!
I know I had a rule in my home space that I didn’t want to work there. I’m fortunate to have created a work-life that allows me to work in multiple locations, including cafes and co-working spaces. Having my home space as just that felt good for where I was at the time. However, with the circuit breaker restrictions, you may also be forced to look at new ways of working. But setting boundaries in your physical space is useful to control the message you are subliminally sending yourself and others. It also allows you to be more productive which could allow you to gain back time you can invest in yourself, that you wouldn’t have previously had, maybe due to commuting or not having the flexibility that you have now.
Set one small nutrition goal that seems realistic for where you are right now.
Being on top of your nutrition is important to maintaining your immune system, feeling energised and having more clarity due to improved brain function. I have heard all extremes from simply learning to cook, turning plant-based to eating no carbs. The most important is to choose an option that is realistic for you in quarantine. A small step, for example, could be not having snacks around mealtimes. You allow yourself to eat healthy foods in abundance, allowing around 4 hours before your next meal but then sticking to no snacks in-between.
Finally, Follow a strict sleep cycle by setting an alarm for bedtime rather than morning time.
By getting ourselves into bed on time i.e. 9/10pm, we are able to support our natural human circadian sleep cycle. The recommended sleep quantity by the Natural Sleep Foundation for adults is 7-9 hours. Getting into this cycle allows you to benefit from more deep sleep, often taking place between 11-3am, which is restorative to your body & allows your internal organs to do the work of detoxifying, leading to a healthier weight and more energised morning rise.
It’s clear there are many ways we can promote our own health during these times but by avoiding the overwhelm and finding 3 simple things that can make a big difference & go some way to helping you feel much less anxious about whether you are on the right track to health!
