This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 9th Dec 2021.

What healthy habits have you instilled during your remote and home working day, with no afterthought? What is second nature now and has become a part of your core routine? Read on to learn more about the power of healthy habits.

Picture this, it’s early morning, you stumble into your kitchen, before you even know it you are hearing the sound of the kettle boiling. That habit or regular behaviour of reaching for our morning beverage and starting the process to prepare it, for many of us, is automatic. We do it without thinking. But how can we bring that into our remote work day routine?

I have a morning habit, one that is non-negotiable: my morning journaling and self-reflection time. What is your non-negotiable moment and what do you call a habit? Author of Atomic Habits, James Clear defines it as follows “A habit is a routine or behaviour that is performed regularly—and, most times, automatically”

In every remote work day, the ideal would be that certain behaviours would happen automatically, with little thought and with a rhythm. Let’s break down this daily routine to support the embedding of improved behaviours, acknowledging that effective remote working needs to be planned and intentional for success:

The evening before 

Finish every workday with a brief review of the work you completed in writing, to foster that sense of satisfaction and plan the next day or week, if it is a Friday. Ask yourself, how is your energy today and for tomorrow? Review your calendar and commitments; do you need to adjust anything? Write down any thoughts. Many people find that they unwind and disconnect better with this practice in place at the end of the workday.

Top Tip: add a small reminder to your calendar to do your “end of day reflection and planning” to embed this regular behaviour

Morning matters 

From mimicking the commute, to journaling, to getting exercise as a first thing. This should include eating a healthy breakfast to supercharge the energy for the day. The first hour of each day is often when we have the best opportunity to set-up our day with a healthy approach front and centre. 

Top Tip: have a large bottle of water on your desk (a minimum of 2 litres) and drink from it regularly. Not only will you stay hydrated; you will also take much needed regular “comfort breaks”! 

Lunch should be legendary!

How is your lunch time looking? Ideally, you have blocked your lunch break in your shared calendar and it is a regular lunch time slot in each workday, when you can leave your desk and enjoy a healthy lunch away from your workspace. 

Top Tip: try having a device-free lunch with your workspace out of sight. After eating, occupy your hands with a book, some doodling/writing or a puzzle if you need to!

Energy boosters throughout the day - taking that 5 to 15 mins 3-4 times a day is vital for a healthy workday but often elusive as we find ourselves stuck like glue to our device. Moving away from your workspace, standing up, stretching, breathing, eating a healthy snack are all simple ways to reset your energy. To take a better break in your remote workday, check out my AudioBook; Better Breaks for Remote Workers >> 

Top Tip: Pop that healthy bowl of fruit or nuts in eyes view but away from your workspace and leave it there, a quick way to get your 5 a day of fruit and vegetables.

Leave work in your workspace 

Now that we have come full circle in our healthy remote workday, so remember to include that 5 minutes of your day in review, writing out any thoughts and observations and positively planning for tomorrow using the advice above. When you close your notebook, that should symbolise the end of the day and the move back into your life, leaving work behind. 

Top Tip: if you work and live in a small space, grab a blanket and cover your workspace or desk to put work out of sight and out of mind!

Good luck with making the small changes needed to adopt new Healthy Habits in your work day, starting today!

Find out more today about the "RoRemote" approach here.

This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 9th Dec 2021.