Working from home: How to best maintain your health when working from home

At first glance, the advantages of working from home seem to outweigh the disadvantages. Short commute to work, no distractions from colleagues. But those who are not properly prepared for it will soon begin to notice the disadvantages. SWICA's occupational health management team provides some ideas on how to work productively and effectively from home.

Get enough exercise

Make sure you get enough exercise when working from home:

• Do a set of exercises once a day that include a mix of strengthening, endurance and flexibility.
• Enter your regimen as a fixed item in your daily agenda. You can also note which exercises you will do and how often and for how long.
• Do short exercises in between as a way of counteracting tension, for example by stretching and using your joints.
• Think about what might get in the way of doing these exercises and find ways to not let that happen.

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Keep the team spirit

People tend to feel isolated when working from home. But there are ways to counteract this:

• Meet your team regularly by using a video channel.
• Use video to share information with team colleagues (e.g. take coffee breaks together).
• Call team members instead of emailing them.

The importance of managing your time

When you plan your work (and breaks), think about when you are at your best and strike a good balance between the important aspects of being disciplined and taking care of your own needs. Consider entering your personal appointments in the calendar as well. Use a separate room for online meetings so that you and your family are undisturbed. In the team, set some rules for meeting online (e.g. start and end times, the agenda, who participates). Meet spontaneously only in exceptional cases, as this can cause stress.

Use micropauses as a way to relax

We need regular breaks to stay focused and efficient. Planning your breaks will increase your motivation and give you structure – but don’t use a break to do household chores, unless they help you to relax. Micropauses not only help you to relax, they can also energise you. Ideally you should take a micropause after an hour of concentrated work:

• Get up, open a window and take a few deep breaths.
• Take your eyes off the screen and close them, or turn to look into the distance.
• And why not drink something and stretch a few times.