How to stay healthy in a hybrid work environment

Unfortunately, the widespread coronavirus pandemic has ruled our lives for the past two years. The constant arrival of new variants is posing demanding challenges for organisations and posing difficult scenarios for them to resume full-fledged operations. Expecting the workplace to return to their daily office routine is akin to wishing for a life on the moon. Being adaptable in terms of workplace norms is currently the best option, and thus the hybrid work environment has become the new normal.

While we’ve all gotten used to the hybrid work environment, we can’t ignore the impact it’s having on us, both mentally and physically. Working online does not reduce stress; in fact, it increases it in many ways. Let us look at some tips to remain healthy while working from home or from the office.

Keep yourself hydrated: As much as we take this point casually, we should keep drinking water and maintain our fluid intake throughout the day to keep ourselves hydrated through all the exhaustion. The body gets dehydrated even when you’re sitting inside the house, so you must develop a habit of keeping a water bottle with you and keep sipping the water. You must also include the intake of other healthy fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, infused and detox water in your daily routine.

Eat nutritious food: While working we tend to munch on snacks but we must keep in mind that the importance of the three main meals should not be disregarded and one should have a proper balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner while working from both home and office. A meal packed with proteins, carbs, fibres and other crucial nutrients keep you energized for the day and saves you from issues like bloating, gastric attacks and fatigue.

Mid-meal snacking: As significant as it is to have a nutritious meal it is also necessary to snack in between to satisfy your hunger pangs. You must always keep a few healthy snacking options handy like roasted makhana, roasted peanuts, fruits, unsweetened nut butter, protein bars, and other healthy snacks so that it keeps you away from munching on unhealthy food items which have a high content of sugar and salt and are low on nutrition. They can cause bloating, weight gain and other health issues.

Breathing exercises: It is no secret that breathing exercises can calm you down, relax your mind and increase your focus. Breathing exercises enhance the oxygen flow in your blood and boost your energy. Deep breathing can help you fight anxiety and decrease your stress levels.

Stretching: When you're sitting on your work table with your laptop for extended hours you must take a break after every 30 minutes to 60 minutes where you get up and stretch your body. Sitting in one place gives rise to backaches and pain in the knee joints. Stretching helps maintain the blood flow and keeps you fit.

Wear computer glasses: You should be mindful of your screen time and wear computer glasses to avoid the blue light affecting your eyesight. With the increased work-fromhome hours, you are forced to sit in front of the screen, and then even on your break, you use your mobile phone which takes your screen time to almost 18 hours a day causing red eyes, decreased eyesight, and watering of eyes.