Authored by: Morgan Watson
For months now, we’ve been working from home. For those of us introverts, it’s definitely a dream come true. But even for us, waking up and spending all of our days cooped up behind the same walls can start to take its toll. That’s why it’s all about making small, daily rituals to keep our minds refreshed and healthy so that we can continue to have positive and productive workdays. So, I’m going to share with you a few tips I have found to keep a healthy mind!
It’s all about starting the day off positive. Now that we don’t have a commute, we can spend more time in the morning taking time for ourselves before starting the workday. When you first wake up in the morning, I challenge you to think of at least one thing that makes you happy, grateful, or motivated. Leave yourself an inspirational note by the coffee maker, send your spouse, children, or friend a funny picture, or even download an app that gives you daily motivational quotes. Go sit outside on the porch with no cellphones or TVs, just you, some fresh air, and your favorite cup of coffee. Whichever you choose, make it a habit to start the day off thinking about something positive other than deadlines, to-do lists, emails, and more that can wait until the workday officially starts.
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for the longest time, I didn’t take the time for it. Now that we do have more time in the mornings, choosing a healthy breakfast consisting of lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats will give us that early morning boost to conquer our day.
Starting out our day is important, but it’s also important to continue making healthy choices throughout the day. Keeping to a work schedule can be hard at home. Remembering to take a lunch break and backing away from the screen every now and then requires more thought than it did when at the office. It’s important to make sure we’re getting up and stretching, walking around, and resting our eyes from the screen throughout the day. I’ve found that doing some simple exercises like arm circles, squats, torso twists, neck rolls, and calf raises periodically helps from getting restless and gives an extra boost of energy to clear the mind and stay more productive. If you have a partner or children at home, you can also make a routine of doing these exercises together and have a bit of fun with it by adding some of your favorite tunes!
Photo Credit: Olga Yastremska, 123rf.com