Let’s say you are an app developer working from home in your 20s or 30s, it means that you are working around 10 hours daily in front of the computer. And this is not the only problem, you are probably forgetting to eat something during lunch, and in the majority of cases, the only meal you have during your working hours is a Snickers. Two or three hours before the end of the program you are probably typing furiously because you do not have the same energy you had in the morning, and you have started to feel pains because of the ergonomics.
Moreover, when working from home weekends are not an opportunity to get out of the house, you probably have extra projects you have to complete. And when you do not have extra projects to complete, you spend your free time doing household chores and completing family obligations. There is no time for you, time for refilling your energy and time for exercising. But you know that this routine is not healthy for you, working in front of the computer has multiple drawbacks for your health, and only that at the present you can handle this schedule because you are young, it does not mean that you will be young forever.
The fact is that if you will keep it up the same way for 10 years, you will experience life-threatening conditions and if you are lucky to avoid those, you will still suffer from serious medical conditions. What can you do? You need to stay in shape even if you are working from home.
You need to schedule your day
When programming from home you can easily get carried away and forget to get up from your chair and eat something. The best way to stay in shape in these conditions is to structure your day and to prioritize your tasks. When it comes to developing apps, it is important to set clear start and finish times for your tasks. Only because when you were working in an office you had longer working periods it does not mean that you have to maintain the same schedule at home.
When you create your schedule you should make sure, it includes a lunch break, time for meetings and phone calls. The purpose is to create realistic but adjustable windows of time to eat and get up from the desk.
Your schedule should include a workout
When working from home you find difficult to be active, because you would rather prefer to work harder to complete your tasks faster. However, it is bad for your health to skip your workouts. Being active will help you improve your overall fitness, maintain a healthy body and lower your stress levels. You need to be calm and relaxed when developing systems because a single typing mistake can ruin your entire code. For example, when you need to create complex apps, you need to check all the system development life cycle phases, and this task requires all your attention and energy. You need to stay focused to create the best system for your clients. Working more than 10 hours a day to develop a system can cause serious overstimulation for your brain. If you implement a consistent exercise program, you can boost your brain endorphins and perform better.
Put your workout session in your schedule, the same way you put your working sessions. You can start your morning with a cardio workout and you can do some strength exercises in the middle of the day when you start to feel tired.
Get out of the house
Working from home in the IT industry is one of the most stressful activities you can have. Chronic stress is one of the main factors that harm your immune system and cause cardiovascular system problems. Even if you work out at home, getting out in nature has an essential role in maintaining your shape. At least once a day you should get out of the house, to walk your dog, get your children to park, have lunch with a friend or to do groceries.
If you get out of the house, you will involve yourself in social interaction, you will enjoy the fresh air that has the power to boost your creativity, and you will get the 10,000 steps everyone should walk.
Eat, eat, eat
Food is your fuel, the same way gas is your car’s fuel. In order, your body to function you need to eat. During your working hours, you need at least three breaks to refuel. If you schedule your meals, you will boost your productivity levels. Why? You may have noticed that on the days when you skip a meal, fatigue takes you over and you are not able to concentrate the same way as when you eat. You should not have a hard time to eat when working at home because you have access to your home kitchen.
When you eat you should sit at your kitchen table and not at your work desk, it is time you spend at peace disconnected from your work. When you eat, you should stay away from your electronic devices, you are working at your computer 10 hours a day, and you need some time to clear your mind. Practice mindful eating, take a small bite, chew it thoroughly, notice the flavour and learn to enjoy your meals.
Do not forget to drink water
No matter what activity you are doing, it is important to stay hydrated throughout the day. If you are dehydrated, you will start experiencing headaches and fatigue, the worst enemies when programming and creating apps. You need to stay alert and be productive to stand out with your work.
In the beginning, you may have difficulties in drinking at least 2 litres of water a day; a great trick is to add lemon juice or berries in the water.
Do not let the hard projects and comfort of your house get in the way of maintaining your great shape. You should establish a healthy balance to keep your body and mind happy.