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The Bee Healthy Blog
Virtual Wellness in a Hybrid Work Environment
The famous English naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works cooperatively against common threats.” One thing that we can all agree upon is that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth changes, most notably in the workplace.
Especially for our New York office employees, many had to create workstations at home that did not previously exist. By now, most people tell me that they’ve grown to prefer working from home (WFH). However, they note that it’s also important to maintain healthy habits and ensure that their days are not just productive at work, but also productive for personal health and wellness. Here are some of my tips on virtual wellness that I’ve gained from working from home the past year and a half.
1. Maintain consistent work hours – To help set boundaries between work and home, maintain the same set of work hours as you would in a shared office space, have a morning routine such as working out, going for a walk, or meditating, and schedule time throughout the day for breaks to give your eyes a rest and stretch your legs. Before the pandemic, I was skeptical of WFH, finding it hard to believe that productivity would be matched when in person, but I have been extremely impressed with the output and work ethic of everyone at BuzzRx and my other companies.
2. Make sure your workspace is good for your neck and back – While working from home, it’s essential to create a separate and distraction-free workspace that is both comfortable and good for your posture. Avoid plopping down on the couch and placing your laptop on a pillow on your lap. That’s going to cause problems long-term. Consider sitting on an exercise ball (great for your core) and placing your laptop on a table that doesn’t make you look down to see the screen.
3. Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods – Many people embraced cooking throughout the pandemic, mostly out of necessity, but the benefit of cooking for yourself is that it is typically healthier and less expensive than eating out. With restaurants fully opened, it may be tempting to fall back into old habits, so make sure to maintain a healthy balance. While in the office, taking breaks to refill water may have been a good reason to walk away from your desk, but now it may take a bit more consciousness to maintain a consistent water intake throughout the day. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. Water not only helps to keep you hydrated but also helps boost brain activity, focus, and mood.
4. Stay active and take breaks – Especially for the New York team, commuting was a form of daily exercise, at least contributing towards the recommended 10,000 steps per day goal. Now, we may be saving time without a commute, but it’s also important to dedicate time to combat the sedentary lifestyle that goes hand in hand with a desk job. While working from home, remember to take breaks for a short walk, stretch your arms and legs, and maintain awareness of your seated posture. You may even consider using your lunch break for a quick workout. All of this helps release piled-up stress, which can be damaging long term.
Some may find that they enjoy the benefits of WFH, such as having more family time or time to explore hobbies outside of work. Others have shared that they feel less exhausted at the end of the day. While Slack, email, Zoom, and other digital tools keep us connected in a constant stream of communication, there’s nothing like sitting with a colleague in person and hearing a story or sharing a laugh. While we may enjoy the freedom of WFH, I look forward to when we can all gather in an office safely to resume our quarterly or biannual all-company meetings--especially since many of us are spread throughout the country. In the meantime, we’ve adapted and managed to grow throughout one of the most difficult experiences in possibly our lifetimes, and for that, I am incredibly proud.
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