Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging when your home is also where you work. You’re relaxed, and there’s enough food for everyone. Unlike at work, you are free to snack all day. You have full access to the refrigerator or maybe you become so caught up in a project that you don’t notice you haven’t eaten anything all day. Whatever the case may be, this habit has the potential to cause chaos on your waistline, sabotage weight loss attempts, and inhibit productivity. So, how can you maintain a healthy diet while you work from home? Continue reading to find out.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Don’t Work In or Near the Kitchen
Set up your workstation in a room or area away from the kitchen. If the fridge is always in your line of sight, you may be tempted to check it (for the hundredth time). Thankfully my back faces the fridge when I sit at my desk. You may need to decide that the only time you’ll be in your kitchen throughout the workday is to prepare a scheduled snack or meal.
Plan Your Meal and Snack Times
Make a plan about when you’re going to eat throughout the day, just like you schedule and organize the rest of your day (get up, exercise, shower, work). Plan ahead of time if you know you prefer to have lunch around noon. And, if you like a late-afternoon snack, prepare for that as well. Food should be handled in the same way as it would be at the workplace. You can’t graze all day while you’re there, so behave similarly at home. It should make no difference if you’ve arranged a virtual address with Physical Address and are working from your spare bedroom or you’re out in an office building far away from home.
Make Sure You Actually Eat
It can be difficult to take a pause to eat after you’ve got into a rhythm and you’ve got deadlines to stick to. However, it is critical to recognize your hunger cues and understand that not eating can impair your alertness and productivity more than taking a break ever would. Furthermore, eating throughout the day will keep your mood up all day, rather than you becoming miserable when you’re done working. Set an alarm on your phone if necessary to remind you to get up and eat something.
Focus on Real Food
We are more productive when we eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. It keeps us fuller for longer and improves our concentration. Recognize that what you eat affects your mood and energy level, and consider this the next time you’re hungry and want to go for a handful of chocolate from the cupboard. Concentrate on protein, fruits, and vegetables, healthy fats, and fiber. Making a menu ahead of time can help you avoid eating whatever seems the tastiest and fastest at the time.
Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration can cause headaches and tiredness, both of which are detrimental to productivity. Have water at your workstation at home in the same way you would keep a water bottle at your desk at work. If you have water easily accessible, you are more likely to drink it, assisting you in meeting your daily target of at least 64 ounces.
