How to stay safe and healthy when working from home?
The pandemic brought about an influx of remote working. Businesses settled at home and communicated with their employees via video chat and messenger. The pandemic transformed the working world and introduced a new era of working from home. These days, many companies have returned to the office with a more flexible approach. Employees can split their time between home and office work.
The National Accident Helpline surveyed 1,000 home workers in the UK. They found that nearly half of respondents suffered an injury while working from home. The most common injury was back pain, followed by eye strain, neck pain and repetitive strain injury. It’s essential to consider your physical, mental and cyber wellbeing when working from home.
Here are a few ways you can stay safe at home.
Protect your computer
First up, you need to improve your cyber security at home. Antivirus software is essential and can prevent malware from breaking into your employer’s system. Your computer probably holds private information about your company. Cyber-attacks sky-rocketed in lockdown as companies turned to remote working. You need to make sure your system is up to date and thoroughly protected.
Get active
It’s easy to sit at your desk all day without doing much movement at all. In the office, you are likely to walk to the kitchen, bathroom and train station. It’s far more difficult to fit in your steps when working from home. Start the day off with a morning workout to get your body moving. Exercise is a fantastic stressbuster as well.
Streamline your setup
You need an ergonomic setup with a comfortable chair and desk. Find a chair that supports your back and encourages good posture. Make sure your desk is at the correct height for your body, and invest in a screen monitor if possible. Try to avoid looking down at your laptop – this can lead to neck pain and repetitive strain injury.
See people
You need to squeeze in some social time. Without afternoon coffee breaks and meetings, your workday can start to feel a little lonely. Connect with your friends who are also working from home, and organise a lunchtime date. You could eat lunch over FaceTime or go for a walk in a local park.
Get some fresh air
Finally, try to go outside every single day. You could go for a walk to the gym in the morning or spend an hour walking around your local area in the evening. Stay safe and do your best to get some fresh air.
Make the most out of working from home and look after yourself.
