Since COVID-19 necessitated a shift away from office environments, all kinds of home office hacks have popped up to help displaced workers create healthier, more productive workspaces – and for good reason. Workers could be stationed at home for the foreseeable future, and designing a better workspace can be the difference between health and happiness and drudgery.
So, what does a healthy work environment look like? These 3 changes can help carry you through this stressful time and translate easily between work and home.
Let The Sunshine In
If you had to set up an impromptu home office since the start of the pandemic, you may not have had many choices about where to place it. That’s why many people are working from kitchen tables, closets, and cubbies.
Unfortunately, such spaces don’t exactly create a healthy work environment, in large part because they limit the flow of natural light. Instead, try to set up your workspace where there’s plenty of natural light; it can also help to install an air filter, since many workers say poor air quality makes them feel groggy. We’re not meant to sit in musty, fluorescent lit rooms – at home or in the office.
Grab A Healthy Snack
Mindless snacking is a workplace hazard, whether you’re at home rifling through the cupboard or in the office grabbing something from the breakroom. We snack because we’re bored or distracted or stressed, but loading up on process snacks won’t help you feel or perform your best.
Instead of grazing on chips and chocolate, if you feel the need to snack, look for a healthier alternative. At home, you can easily prep some fruit or nuts to grab as needed, while a growing number of offices are looking to healthy vending machines to fuel their staff. Healthy foods, from dried fruit to soups and infused waters will help you feel and perform better.
Make Room For Motion
Building healthier work habits isn’t just about physical health. There’s a close correlation between health and happiness, both in the sense that health is typically a prerequisite for happiness and because happier people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors.
One thing that’s not healthy, though? Sitting all day. That’s why it’s worth finding ways to build movement into your workday. In the office, that might be as simple as taking the stairs or walking to your coworker’s desk instead of sending an email. It can be harder to do this when working from home, though, since there are no coworkers or meetings away from your own desk. Try breaking things up by creating various stations for different tasks. You might also consider investing in an adjustable standing desk so that you can change positions regularly.
As For The Office –
There are still a lot of questions about what it will look like for workers to go back to conventional offices, but it’s clear that worker health will be a top priority. That means obvious steps like temperature checks and increased sanitizing efforts, but even as offices work to prioritize these steps, it’s important not to let other wellness practices fall to the wayside. Health is a holistic undertaking and everyone benefits when the office takes that into consideration.