Tips to Stay Healthy and Fit When Running a Home Based Business
Running a home-based business had lot of advantages but one of the major concerns is that of health. In present day's lifestyle, the only little exercise you used to get while commuting to your day job is also waived when you start a home based business. The only commute you now make is between your office room (if you have a separate one) and your living and bed room. Majority of the time is spent either in front of your PC or lazing around. As a result, there is every chance of you being affected with obesity and other related health problems.
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Here are some tips to keep you fit and healthy when running a home based business:
- Devote a specific time period for exercise only. Don't just get into a habit of doing some exercise when you feel so. When you set up a routine and follow it, it then becomes a habit and difficult to break. Don't just limit yourself to aerobics. Therapies like Yoga and Tai Chi are extremely beneficial in improving health and well being.
- Walk or ride a bicycle when running errands.
- Get adequate exposure to sunlight. We all need at least 15-30 minutes of exposure to sunlight daily. Job commuters often get some exposure when they commute to their offices during day time. Working at home deprives us of this critical element as most of the time (when the sun is out) we will be working inside and when we actually move out, the sun is down.
- Don't store unhealthy snacks and food items in your home. When working from home, we often have a tendency to make frequent trips to kitchen and refrigerator for snacking.
- Meditate. Having a day job provides an opportunity for us to switch our mindset once we leave our offices. Working at home though can keep you occupied with your work thoughts even though you are physically not working. If the pattern is continued, it can seriously affect your performance and health. Meditation helps reduces stress, clears the mind of unwanted static, and provides a feeling of well-being that provides a natural "high".
- Take frequent and regular breaks. Working or being in close proximity of electro-magnetic equipments like computers or television can drain us physically and mentally. Working on computers for long hours can also cause Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Taking frequent breaks, meditating and being close to nature helps us recharge our mind and body. One solution that works very well in enforcing us to take breaks while working on our PC is installing software that reminds us to take breaks at frequent intervals.
- Make it a point to take at least twice a week holiday. Consecutive days work best. When I say holiday, it means absolutely no access to your business and/or computer. Not even checking emails and other basic stuff. It must be just like when you used to wait for weekends during your day job. This is very difficult but at the same time vital to enforce because when you work from home, you keep seeing your computer or office desk, and it is tempting to switch on the computer just for a few minutes to check your email or stuff like that. That few minutes often turn into hours without you being aware of it. This negates the very essence of having a holiday — allowing your mind to rest and be free. When you think the same thing again and again, your mind can never rest and relax and you feel stressed easily. Your creative juices dry out and your efficiency decreases.
Discipline is the key here. When you think you are the boss and you are free to do whatever you wish, you often have a tendency to lose self-restraint and procrastinate. When that happens for a long time, getting back into the grove becomes very difficult. Therefore, setup a routine today and start working on it now! Tomorrow never comes.