Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of Canadians are now working from home. Working remotely has many perks, such as having more flexibility over your schedule and working in a comfortable home environment.
Although working from home can add flexibility to your schedule, it does not mean that your days are any less busy. In fact, with multiple virtual meetings throughout the day in addition to your list of tasks, you may find yourself even busier when working at home.
1. Avoid working in the kitchen
When working in an office, we are typically surrounded by co-workers who can see when we are eating. In contrast, when working from home and with no one watching us, we can end up eating more frequently.
Working in or near the kitchen (and the refrigerator) makes for easy access to unlimited snacks and leftovers. Therefore, it is best to set up a comfortable workspace far away from the kitchen, so that you will be less likely to find yourself wandering over to check the fridge.
2. Set up an eating schedule
During the average weekday that involves working away from home, our mealtimes are regularly scheduled. Most of us eat breakfast at home or on the way to the office, then take a lunch break around noon and eat dinner after work, at home.
However, working remotely can wreak havoc on your habitual routine, especially due to juggling family commitments and changing schedules. When working from home, it is easy to forget to eat, binge on snacks, and skip meals. In turn, this may cause you to consume more calories, resulting in weight gain.
To avoid unhealthy eating habits when working remotely, you can set an eating schedule and plan out your meals and snacks ahead of time to avoid overeating.
3. Start your day with a healthy breakfast
Working from home can make it tempting to skip breakfast or grab a sugary snack with your morning coffee instead of your breakfast while getting set up for your workday. In turn, this can disrupt your eating schedule and make it more tempting to snack throughout the day.
Therefore, it is best to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and make it as healthy as possible. This means avoiding high-sugar foods first thing in the morning, and instead, incorporating healthy, proteins such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or eggs. This will help you to stay full for longer, as well as to avoid cravings for unhealthy foods.
4. Meal prep for the week
Just like you would prepare your lunches for the workweek, it can be a good idea to meal prep while working from the comfort of your home.
Focusing on nutritious and healthy ingredients and prepping meal-sized portions is a great way to control your portions and make sure you will not overeat.
In addition, prepping your daily meals also means that you will need to go grocery shopping and plan what you eat ahead of time, making it easy to select healthy options and have healthy foods readily available at home.
5. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated throughout the day is important to help your mind stay focused and keep your immune system functioning at its best, while you spend a lot of time indoors.
To make sure you drink enough water while working from home, you can keep a reusable water bottle in full view on your desk, and even set an alarm at regular intervals to remind you to drink some water.
In addition, it is important to limit your intake of sugary beverages, coffee and soda, and instead, to focus on plain or sparkling water.
Conclusion
Work-from-home work schedules can be as hectic as your days at the office, with frequent virtual meetings and growing to-do lists. While working in the comfort of our homes, many of us find that we are eating worse than usual.
Focusing on nutritious foods, setting up your eating schedule and meal prepping ahead of time, while avoiding mindless snacking will help you eat healthier and stay productive during the work-from-home era of your career.
