There are many more issues associated with working online that we have yet to address. One of the very biggest ones, one that a lot of us don’t anticipate before going into this business, is loneliness. When you start working from the comfort of your home and kiss goodbye to the commute!
Other factors of your general health are also crucial if you want to optimize productivity while working from home.
For example, it is very important to get adequate time outdoors. When working from home, it is very easy to go days without walking, and without getting sunlight!
Spending no time walking is extremely unhealthy: studies show that this can actually shorten our lifespans. This is due to the lack of exercise for the heart, which then atrophies and becomes weaker, putting us at a great risk of heart disease and many other issues. At the same time, numerous changes in the body occur when we sit for too long, which cause issues like kyphosis (roundness of the shoulders and back pain), as well as an anterior pelvic tilt.
Likewise, sunlight is crucial for everything from our mood, to our productivity, to our weight. Sunlight coerces the body into producing vitamin D, which actually works more like a “master hormone” than a vitamin, and regulates the production of testosterone, growth hormone, and more.
Not only is a lack of vitamin D terrible for your mental health and your bone density, but it also prevents you sleeping properly – thus you wake the next day feeling less tired and less able to focus.
It is therefore crucial that you balance your time spent working indoors with plenty of time outdoors. Even if that just means going skipping in the garden, or going for long walks around the block – you simply cannot spend your whole life in your four walls or you will see your body AND mind begin to deteriorate.
(Having more than one space to work around the home can also help you to avoid some of the issues associated with spending too long in one position. For example, try working on the couch, or working on the floor.)
Finally, make sure you are getting adequate, restorative sleep. How well you sleep will make a huge impact on your ability to focus and work the next day. Getting more sunlight and fresh air during the day is one critical thing you can do to help this, as is being able to sufficiently switch off from the work you are doing once you finish for the day.