*Produced by SilverKris for Woosa*
It’s been almost eight months of working from home and we are starting to see signs of the toll it’s taking on our health – from eye strain and tingling arms to neck pain and sore backs. Without our daily routine of schlepping to the office, many of us are heading outside less, and thus, moving less.
Given that working from home looks to continue as the default arrangement, it’s important to ensure our environment is as conducive as possible for a positive and healthy experience. Read on to discover some simple but effective solutions to boost your wellbeing in the months ahead.
1. Maintain clear boundaries between your work space and living space
Working from home means it’s often hard to fully disconnect when your laptop is literally a couple of steps from your bed. There’s always an impulse to send one more email or run through your presentation slides one more time. Well, don’t.
One great way to delineate your personal life from your work life is to have two separate laptops – one for work and one for play. If that’s not possible, try to set up a work station that is away from distractions (such as your TV or even your bed) so that you’re better able to focus during the workday. Having a designated ergonomic work station can help you alleviate the attendant aches and pains that come from sitting for long hours at a regular desk.
2. Move your body regularly
Without a daily commute and your colleagues cajoling you to head out for lunch or to take a coffee break, it can be all too easy to find yourself seated for way too many hours. To remind yourself to take stretch breaks, set alarms to go off every hour where you take a walk around your apartment or stretch out the kinks in your neck and back. Your hips and hamstrings also get tight from prolonged sitting so don’t forget to stretch those too.
Make a commitment to do at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day, whether it’s an invigorating jog in the morning or a restorative yoga session at the end of the day. To further motivate yourself, get a pedometer and ensure you’re getting at least 10,000 steps in each day.
3. Set aside time to gaze at nature
Are your eyes getting red and itchy at the end of each workday or do you sometimes experience blurred vision and headaches? If so, your eyes are probably suffering from over-use. To counter eye strain, make sure you use a screen filter or eyeglasses to block out the blue light from your screen. You can also adhere to the 20-20-20 rule, where every 20 minutes, you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
4. Prepare healthier meals
While it’s convenient to fire up your food delivery apps to order takeout – or worse – eat a packet of instant food, you can avoid the temptation by prepping food ahead of time. On Sunday evenings, throw on your favourite music and prepare one-pot dishes such as soups, stews or pasta sauce that can be easily frozen and re-heated in the days ahead so you can have delicious meals that are nutritious to boot. And always make sure you have a ready supply of fresh fruit so you’re less tempted to snack on sugary snacks when the mid-afternoon doldrums hit and you’re looking for a sweet pick-me-up.
5. Have a proper wind-down routine
One of the downsides of working from home is that we often find ourselves working late into the night and sleeping at odd hours. Poor quality of sleep can lead to other health issues such as stress, low moods and back problems. Good sleep hygiene includes having a stable sleep schedule and ensuring your room is comfortable and free of distractions. That means no scrolling through your phone before bed and taking some time to decompress from the day – whether that’s through simple breathing exercises or listening to soft, soothing music.
One great way to ensure your body is primed for a good night’s sleep is to equip your bedroom with the Woosa Adjustable Base from homegrown bedding specialist Woosa. With high-quality motors that are made in Germany, the Woosa Adjustable Base comes with an adjustable head and legs, and includes a timer vibration massage function for an extra-pampering snooze. It also comes with one-touch memory functions to save your favourite sleeping positions. To complete your luxurious sleep experience, you can opt to include the headboard and side frame. The headboard comes with the option of customisable designs, including one made of full-grain leather.
6. Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Another aspect of good sleep hygiene is ensuring you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. However, if you’ve been clocking in an adequate amount of hours every night but still wake up feeling unrefreshed, your mattress could be the issue. Woosa is known for their top-of-the-range mattresses made entirely in Belgium using the highest quality foams and fabrics, and the newly launched Mysa mattress is no exception. This first-rate mattress serves as a perfect complement to the Woosa Adjustable Base.
“The Mysa Mattress is a plush, medium-firm mattress that comes with six layers of high-quality foam, including our signature Sonocare latex and memory foam combination,” says Tyler Peh, co-founder of Woosa. “All this is wrapped in a stretchy, moisture-wicking fabric from Italy to help the mattress stay cool and dry from sweat.”
Still undecided? Rest assured that the Woosa Adjustable Base is a high-quality European construction that comes with a five-year warranty. On top of that, all Woosa mattresses comes with a 100-day free trial. If you find it unsuitable for any reason, you can return it for a full refund – but like 90 percent of Woosa’s satisfied customers, you’ll probably want to keep your mattress forever.
For more information on Woosa, please visit their official website.
