{"id":9045,"date":"2020-08-19T19:02:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T12:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asiapropertyawards.com\/?p=9045"},"modified":"2024-09-23T15:41:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T08:41:51","slug":"in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic-are-you-taking-care-of-your-physical-wellbeing-whilst-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asiapropertyawards.com\/en\/in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic-are-you-taking-care-of-your-physical-wellbeing-whilst-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your home office set up as healthy as it can be?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experts on ergonomics and indoor air discuss how to work efficiently in the comforts of your home<\/p>\n

\"\"
With most professionals now working from home, they must learn how to work efficiently. OlesyaKuznetsova\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For\u00a0<\/span>the majority of<\/span>\u00a0people around the world, working from home is uncharted territory that they\u00a0<\/span>hav<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>been\u00a0<\/span>forced to explore without prior preparations<\/span> because of the pandemic. Freelancers, remote<\/span>\u00a0consultants<\/span>\u00a0and other\u00a0<\/span>flexible workers\u00a0<\/span>have learned to be<\/span>\u00a0as efficient as possible<\/span>\u00a0through months<\/span>\u00a0or years<\/span>\u00a0of finding out what works for them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For most <\/span>of us, we <\/span>were shoved into this position<\/span>, leaving\u00a0<\/span>us\u00a0<\/span>no time to explore<\/span>.<\/span> As <\/span>months passed, we started to crave<\/span>\u00a0face-to-face conversations<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>peers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that simply cannot be gratified by Zoom meetings.<\/span>\u00a0We found it difficult to\u00a0<\/span>prioritise<\/span>\u00a0our workload,\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>stay motivated or<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0\u201cswitch off from work.\u201d Some of us\u00a0<\/span>even found ourselves\u00a0<\/span>with bouts of insomnia because of the<\/span>\u00a0unprecedented<\/span>\u00a0situation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

S<\/span>l<\/span>owly, we<\/span>\u00a0learned to adapt.\u00a0<\/span>We took advantage of resources online<\/span>\u00a0that taught us how to separate work from home in the comfort of one\u2019s own home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Everybody adapted in their own ways. <\/span>Some<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>created a <\/span>daily w<\/span>ork\u00a0<\/span>routine to get them out of the rut<\/span>, some dressed up and ditched loungewear to get<\/span>\u00a0a sense of normalcy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>some\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>assembled<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>their own\u00a0<\/span>workstations<\/span>\u00a0at home<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>complete with an office desk and chair<\/span>\u00a0set up<\/span>, thanks to the host of sales and discounts\u00a0<\/span>offered by\u00a0<\/span>retail shops.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ev<\/span>entually<\/span>, we learned to<\/span>\u00a0accept the beauty of working\u00a0<\/span>in our own home<\/span>s<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0without having to worry about\u00a0<\/span>the traffic and public commute.\u00a0<\/span>We\u00a0<\/span>took<\/span>\u00a0back\u00a0<\/span>h<\/span>ours spent in\u00a0<\/span>travelling <\/span>to and from work, we learned to <\/span>work happily without being caught up in office politics<\/span>\u00a0and drama,<\/span> and we managed to cut off <\/span>transportation\u00a0<\/span>and other\u00a0<\/span>expenses<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though\u00a0<\/span>working from home did involve some adjustments with our personal lives and our mindset,\u00a0<\/span>Business Insider<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>found that 54 percent of adults\u00a0<\/span>preferred to work remotely even after the pandemic. Yet, d<\/span>espite all these perks, <\/span>most have neglected to take care of their physical wellbeing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the fourth installment of our webinar series<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>organised<\/span>\u00a0by\u00a0<\/span>PropertyGuru<\/span>\u00a0Asia Real Estate Summit<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>wellness<\/span> experts asked the viewers<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you focusing more on your work rather than your physical health?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Working from home is not just about having the right\u00a0<\/span>office\u00a0<\/span>tools, it\u2019s also ab<\/span>out keeping your physical health in ti<\/span>p<\/span>top\u00a0<\/span>condition<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>According to\u00a0<\/span>Michael Jones,\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>CEO and founder of mobility-based practice\u00a0<\/span>Pain-Free Me<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>maintaining the right posture is not only beneficial for your health, but also for your\u00a0<\/span>overall work productivity<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When working from home<\/span>\u00a0where we tend to be more immobile<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>our home office must be set up in a way that doesn\u2019t compromise our posture.\u00a0<\/span>As a licensed therapist, h<\/span>e shared that most of his clients\u00a0are either working\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>their dining table or on their couch, with their necks are slumped o<\/span>ver the computer and <\/span>shoulders are rolled forward<\/span>, complaining about their lower back pain<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More: Rise of the digital economy and its impact on the workplace<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Ideally,\u00a0<\/span>he said that the top\u00a0of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>computer\u00a0<\/span>screen<\/span>\u00a0or laptop<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>must<\/span>\u00a0be<\/span>\u00a0within\u00a0<\/span>eye level<\/span>\u00a0to avoid looking\u00a0<\/span>down,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so your shoulders won\u2019t roll forward and your lower back won\u2019t start hurting, <\/span>eventually\u00a0<\/span>lead<\/span>ing<\/span> to a<\/span>\u00a0hunchback posture<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>To avoid this, he suggested buying a laptop stand online.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O<\/span>ne of the most common bad habits that must be corrected is tucking your feet under your chair and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>crossing your legs<\/span> at your ankle. He explained that this position shuts off the\u00a0<\/span>circulation going to the lower extremities, to the legs<\/span>\u00a0and this causes the muscles to become weak and inflamed.<\/span> Avoid this by keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, he advised to keep the shoulders down<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0to keep it relaxed<\/span>, as well as\u00a0to have a self-check every hour by setting an alarm on the phone until you have broken these three habits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since\u00a0<\/span>our hips are a very important muscle group where we get most of\u00a0<\/span>our force<\/span>\u00a0and could be linked to our lower back and knee pain<\/span>, Michael shared\u00a0<\/span>this<\/span>\u00a0si<\/span>mple stretch called The Hip Opener<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n