Four Wellness Suggestions for Remote Employees
Today’s technology has enabled the massive explosion of a remote workforce. According to Gallup, 37% of the workforce in the United States telecommutes regularly. Working remotely has its major benefits- such as less stressed environment, no daily commute, and direct access to your own kitchen to fuel your body. However, avoiding distractions (a stocked pantry, never-ending laundry, etc.!) and the urge to sit and work for long, extended periods of time with now co-worker interference, is unique to remote workers.
As a remote-office Director of Marketing for a global organization - meaning calls and emails at all hours of the day and sometimes night - I have experience with plotting against myself to avoid the stocked pantry and being glued to my laptop to stay on track with nourishing, and not neglecting, my body.
Here are the four nutrition/wellness suggestions from my remote-office to yours:
PLAN AHEAD
Know what you have in the kitchen, so you can eat smaller meals throughout the day. Twice weekly - Sundays and Thursdays work for me - chop up two colorful Bell peppers, two cucumbers (deseeded) and five carrots into long sticks and keep fresh in a sealed glass container in the fridge for easy snacking. Paired with a favorite hummus or tabbouleh, this easy snack may sound like a no-brainer, but is a gentle reminder to enjoy these natural foods originally nourished by sunlight that together offer vitamins A, B, C and potassium. Also, keep trail mix on hand (Trader Joe’s offers the ready to go serving packs in a variety of combinations) and ensure you have shaker bottles washed and at the ready for mid-day/post workout protein shakes or smoothies.
CURB THE SWEET TOOTH
Craving the equivalent of a Johnny Rocket’s chocolate milkshake? Try this incredible recipe from Ruby Roth’s Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids. But don’t be fooled by the title, I’ve doubled the ingredients for an adult-size portion, and it is as filling as it is sweet-tooth-craving-curbing!
Ingredients:
6 Pitted Dates
50 Raw Cashews
1 cup Water
4 light teaspoons Cacao Powder
10 ice cubes
Combine all together in blender or NutriBullet (large cup) and serve in a tall glass. Optional add- ins include your favorite protein powder, chia seeds, hemp powder, chlorella, or even probiotics powder (if using probiotics, stir in right before you drink to maintain power of nutrients). Enjoy!
BE AWARE
Be cognizant of how you are sitting, clicking, conference-calling and the position of your body while doing so. Check yourself throughout the day, remaining mindful of your shoulder height, the bend of your elbows when typing, the curve of your back. Get up every hour and move - whether it be to refill your water, take a few laps around the block, or use a headset and pace while you are on conference calls, your body will thank you by being pain free.
STAY ON SCHEDULE
Schedule a non-negotiable time for tending to your physical self. Whether crack of dawn, mid-day or following Dwayne Johnson’s 3AM ‘Anchor’ workout ritual, treat your workouts as a ‘must attend meeting’ on all personal and corporate calendars so it is blocked and planned for. Being able to fit in your tennis lesson, indoor cycling class, garage gym throwdown or pilates workout into your schedule is an added benefit to an already appealing work style.