Healthy Habits Online-based Employees and Entrepreneurs Need to Develop

Work-from-home became the norm when the COVID-19 pandemic showed no signs of stopping. It is the smartest set-up for corporate employees: in cities where the virus outbreak is still rampant, the risk of catching the virus increases each time a person goes outside his or her home. Besides, most office employees can do their jobs at home because they really don't need much apart from a high-performance laptop or desktop computer and a fast and reliable Internet service.

​The work-from-home setup is a blessing as it allows many businesses to stay open even if the government imposes a lockdown. It also gave the employees more time to spend with their family, friends and even pets. Unfortunately, working from home can also create an environment that's bad for a person's physical and mental health.

Unhealthy Habits to Conquer
If you are currently working at home as a result of the pandemic, see if you are guilty of the following unhealthy habits:

• Sitting slouched and hunched over when working on your laptop or desktop computer.
• Forgetting to eat meals on time.
• Forgetting to drink water as often as possible.
• Working in dim light.
• Putting your face too close to the computer monitor.
• Not sleeping enough at night.
• Not exercising.

These are the habits you need to break in order to achieve or maintain holistic health while staying and working at home. Counter these bad habits with habits that promote good health instead.

Habits That Promote Good Health

Here are examples of the healthy habits people working from home should develop:

1. Sit straight.  It often takes years for good posture to become second nature to a person. But you can start with one simple rule: sit straight. Whether your chair has a backrest or none, make it a habit to sit comfortably straight with your weight equally distributed on your buttocks. Feel how the muscles on your back support your spine. Push your shoulders back and slightly down, and lift your chin so it's almost parellel to the floor. If your computer screen is below your eyeline, just lower your gaze instead of slouching down to its level.

Simply correcting how you sit can already do a lot for your posture and health. It helps keep your spine in proper alignment with your hips, knees and limbs.

2. Don't stress over what you cannot control. There's already so much that's out of your hands during the pandemic. It's no use dwelling over them. Turn your attention instead to what you can control. Clean your home and give it a makeover so that it becomes a space you'll want to hang out in instead of thinking of when you can freely go outside again. Donate to credible charity causes instead of yelling at politicians on the TV. Hire a professional to open an account and do your Shopify website design so that you can sell your goods online instead of just waiting for the government to lift restrictions on "non-essential" businesses.

3. Hydrate and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Nutrition is paramount during a pandemic. A healthy body is just as vulnerable to the coronavirus as any, but the chances of beating the illness are higher among people without preexisting medical conditions. Conversely, the elderly and people with serious health problems have a higher risk of infection. Reduce your risk by eating nutritious food. Do what you can to boost your immune system and avoid diseases that will make you more vulnerable to the virus.

4. Get enough sleep. Quality and sufficient sleep are crucial to a person's physical and mental health. Poor sleep has been linked to many medical conditions, including diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, weak immune system, depression and anxiety. One of the downsides of being at home 24/7 is there's hardly any delineation between work and home life. As a result, people end up working well into the evening or dawn. A few more hours of productivity can be good for your career, but compromising your health in the process shouldn't be a price to pay.
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Remote working is necessary at this time and there's no telling how long you will be working from home. Don't make it a reason for your health to deteriorate. Turn the four tips above into habits, and you'll notice a vast improvement in your health and mental well-being.

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by IC Contributor