Five insights based on working from home and staying fit

1. It takes more effort to manage the work life balance when working from home.

It’s easier to feel distracted.

2. A dedicated office space at home is a must.

This is also useful to decrease the distraction in your home environment. But moreover, you should consider ergonomics with your work chair and desk. Remove social media distractors from your work at home environment – That includes your private mobile phone.

3. Effective communication solutions are vital.

Whether you will use Zoom, Skype or Cisco WebEx, you need to communicate seamlessly with your colleagues. This also includes the project management tools you use. Is it Trello or something else?

4. You still need to schedule your day to stay effective and finish tasks.

Yes, working from home does come with freedoms. But be careful not to stop scheduling. By settings specific goals in measurable amounts of time (SMART goals) as manifested in schedules, you are helping yourself to stay productive throughout the day. And you also avoid having to work late in the evening because of laziness during the working hours.

5. Exercise in small chunks of time while you are at home.

Exercise bikes, elliptical trainers, rowing machines. All three have very clear benefits to your health. Start simple.. I started a fitness schedule with the following every day: Squats, push-ups, and basic crunches. With a minimalistic set of 10 squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 crunches in three series, I took charge of my core muscles again. Within weeks, I changed this workout routine to become more challenging.

Also, try to unwind by doing Yoga.

There is no substitute for people. Just because we work from home does not mean we can neglect meeting people. So try to schedule lunch walks or having a coffee or lunch with your partner or family.