Can working from home make you healthier?

Working from home may have some pitfalls:

• Space wars – the kitchen table may have become a battle zone. Borders made of cereal boxes clearly delineating spaces between sticky crumbs and laptops.
• Privacy issues – When the bathroom becomes the conference room.
• Dignity – It becomes apparent that self-grooming is a social construct. It has lost all meaning.

If the above is your daily reality, try to see the humour in it. Scientific studies prove that humour reduces agitation and increases happiness¹.

'The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter'
– Mark Twain

Here are the many health advantages:

The stress of the daily commute.

The average UK commuter spends a total of 59 minutes a day travelling to work and back. In London it's 81 minutes. Yikes. That is a tremendous chunk of day.

How sedentary or active your commute is will determine its health risks. Cycling and walking bring their own risks, but at least keep you fit. Heavy traffic in rush hour is environmentally toxic² and stressful. Regardless of whether you use public transport, drive or propel yourself, long commutes have been linked to heart health risks³ and stress-related illness. For many, the commute is time away from family, and less time for sleep, personal errands and exercise.

Commuting stress can contribute to backache and muscle tension. It can cause sleep and digestive problems.

Lucky you if you don't have to commute. Try to treasure this opportunity to destress. Get outside for a walk, cycle or run. Exercise has proven benefits for health, improving circulation, immunity and mood.

Spend the time with the kids or doggy. Get some chores done and get organised. You will feel capable and professional.

You may just like to get more sleep. A good sleep will improve mood and immunity, and can reduce inflammation.

A.Vogel's Dormeasan Sleep is herbal remedy combining valerian and hops. It works quickly and can help relax the nervous system. I take it when I need help establishing a sleep routine after a holiday or during a stressful period.

Eating on the run.

76% of UK workers buy a lunch rather than make their own. This may be a treat and a perk of the working day. It can also be an unhealthy choice and unnecessary expense.

I don't know about you, but most of the lunches that I buy are not great. The packed lunch I make myself is much nicer. I find it easier to get my five-a-day of fruit and vegetables when I plan my own meals. I also tend to eat on the run with a takeout lunch, getting crumbs all over my keyboard and into nooks and crannies of the car.

Working from home can be great for digestion too. If you suffer from wind, bloating or indigestion, you may see improvements as you are able to eat your meal more slowly and with more enjoyment. Eating well improves your energy and your mood.

As you decide what to make, your anticipation will trigger saliva production. Saliva contains an enzyme to help digest carbohydrates. It also tells the stomach to get ready – it's meal time. As you chew, more digestive secretions will be produced.
You can take time to do this and enjoy your food instead of having to rush back to the office. You can sit at a table and take your time.

The stomach acid you are able to produce when eating calmly and slowly will break down protein. Your liver will produce bile to break down fats. Bile also triggers the waves of muscle contractions in the gut to move food along. This is important to keep bowel movements regular and to make sure that waste doesn't hang around. You will end up getting the most from your meals, and avoiding the perils of a sluggish gut.

Try to plan meals that contain fibre-rich foods. Examples are wholegrains, fruit and vegetables. Homemade soup and brown soda bread; or a quinoa salad with tomato, cucumber and olives. Fibre keeps the friendly bacteria in your gut happy. These little fellas are important for our immunity. They help us digest our food and regulate our moods.

Molkosan is a prebiotic drink that nourishes the good bacteria in the gut. It contains L+lactic acid, which can improve the environment for friendly bacteria. It's one of those nice old fashioned remedies for digestion.

Flexibility.

When you work from home it's allows for all sorts of freedoms.

Do you get stiff from sitting down in the office? There, you can roll your neck or wander to the water fountain. Have a neck rub.

When you are at home you can do full squats and star jumps. You can turn on your music, have a pit mosh.

Do you have a work uniform? No longer. At home you can don full ballgowns. With slippers! Enjoy this freedom and comfort.

Find a routine that suits you when working from home.

Doing the same thing every day has proven benefits for both health and productivity. The body has its own circadian rhythm of waking and sleeping. Try to get up and go to bed at the same time every day. Tap into natural your body clock. Getting up early allows you have more natural light in your life. We get vitamin D from sunlight. We need it for energy and a healthy immune system.

Make regular exercise a part of your day. This will improve your energy levels, sleep and mood. Involve your family if you are at home with them – a pre-lunch dance-off will help break up the day!

Make time to keep in touch with work colleagues, friends and family. Staying at home doesn't mean that you can't pick up the phone.

References:

¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24814320

² https://particleandfibretoxicology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12989-014-0045-5
³ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743515003655