How Can a Remote Developer or Worker Maintain Good Health?

Yes, you’re transforming the world and facilitating automation, but when was the last time you had your health checked? And how healthy is your remote way of life?

How you can live healthy while working remotely

1. It is impossible to overstate the value of exercise for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The body’s systems are all improved by exercise….Wait, so you want to just dive into how to live healthy while working remotely without even understanding or knowing your unhealthy remote habits? Let’s take a step back and understand remote working.

Following the coronavirus (covid-19) epidemic, businesses adopted technology in 2020, and those who didn’t adapt were left behind. According to the World Bank, to cope with the crisis, more than a third of businesses have boosted their usage of digital technology. Due to the almost three-month-long total worldwide lock-down in 2020, organizations scrambled to incorporate technology into their regular business operations, which increased demand for remote workers and sharply increased demand for developers.

To prevent illness transmission and hasten healing, the Centers for Disease Control advise sick workers to work remotely. I suppose remote workers are skilled at this already. We are not here to discuss CDC recommendations, but rather how you as a remote worker has failed to maintain a healthy lifestyle and how you can do better. The focus is not on remote developers specifically, but on all remote employees. This post is meant to serve as a reminder to all remote developers, programmers, data analysts, social media managers, creators and others about the need of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, if you want to work remotely, become accustomed to this way of life as you get ready to land your first remote position.

What are remote jobs?

Jobs that are completed outside of a regular office setting are referred to as remote jobs. Remote jobs might include temporary, flexible, or alternate schedules as well as full- or part-time hours. Depending on how your employer structures the work, some may require you to be present during “core hours,” while others are freelancing.

Advantages of working remotely

1. Improved work-life balance

Nowadays, people frequently lament how difficult it is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. When commute time and sleep are taken into account, working 8–12 hours a day leaves little time for family and other pursuits. Working from home avoids long trips, enables more time with loved ones and makes homely attire soothing on days without video conversations.

2. Increased productivity

A majority of businesses saw an improvement in production at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak as they started using remote employees to scale production. The absence of regular commutes, protracted in-person meetings and several other inconveniences connected with conventional workstations played a significant role in this.

3. Timeliness

When working from home, factors like traffic and coffee queues are reduced and workers can now work on time. Being able to roll out of bed and start working is a huge time saver and boosts the morale of remote workers.

5. Cost efficient

Businesses can rent smaller office spaces since remote workers can provide excellent outcomes while working from home. Renting a big office with lots of office supplies is expensive. Don’t forget that working from home saves employees money on daily transportation costs and food purchases for breakfast, lunch and dinner (for late-night workers)

We could go on and on about the benefits of working remotely and adopting remote employment as an employer, but we would overlook the key issue: “healthcare for remote workers.” Continue reading if you don’t want to miss how having bad healthcare affects your life as a remote worker.

The devastating health issues of remote jobs

Many remote workers suffer from health problems that have become a part of their lifestyle, which makes them feel comfortable living unhealthy. Most of these unhealthy habits have long-term impacts that are noticeable later in life. Here are a few major health risks that remote employees must deal with:

1. Isolation

Working from home, especially for someone who lives alone, can frequently result in feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even when they have separate offices, employees who work in traditional offices regularly greet one another at the office entrance and in the canteen as well as at gas stations, parking lots and even on buses and trains. Even when they merely say “hello,” workers are still engaging in face-to-face social engagement. Home-based workers are excluded from these exchanges. A study by Buffer found that 22% of workers found it difficult to unplug after work, 19% suffered from loneliness and 8% had difficulties staying motivated. The mental health of a remote worker can suffer by spending the entire day by themselves at home. Loneliness is the largest issue for remote workers.

2. Poor Ergonomics

High-quality, ergonomic equipment and supplies are standard in any office, but what about remote workers? Remote workers run the danger of long-term health issues without good ergonomics. Poor blood circulation, and joint and muscle problems in the hips, knees or back may result from an uncomfortable chair. Most typical office workers experience issues with their hands, wrists, waists, and arms; remote workers are even more likely to suffer from carpal tunnel, tendonitis, sprains, spinal pain, spinal defects and strains without a wrist rest, mouse or properly calibrated workplace. Many remote workers suffer from full-blown bone problems such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, kyphosis, arthritis of the bones, nerve pains, muscle spasms and others rather than early indications of these illnesses. This is how bad it can get when remote workers have poor ergonomics.

3. Poor Vision

Remote employees working in dim lighting run the risk of developing eye strain or perhaps going blind over time. Your vision can soon deteriorate if you are constantly staring at the excessively bright white or blue light on your devices. Bright white and cool fluorescent tube bulbs and incandescent bulbs emit the most UV radiation and cause the most damage to your eyes. The issues raised in the aforementioned 2011 study were related to this kind of light source. This is a typical unhealthy habit among remote workers.

4. Respiratory Issues

While the majority of conventional offices have enough ventilation or full air conditioning, many remote employees struggle with inadequate ventilation. Headaches, lung infections and sinus issues can all be brought on by inadequate ventilation or air quality. This happens frequently to remote workers whose low pay or salary makes it challenging to properly ventilate or air-condition their work environment. Keep in mind that unless you get frequent health checks, respiratory issues are difficult to identify in their early stages.

5. Hearing Problem

Programmers and researchers, in particular, spend hours each day utilizing headphones to conduct zoom calls with other team members. Other remote employees utilize headphones to listen to loud music while they are not making daily calls.

A noisy workplace may be distracting and lower employee productivity, but it may also cause hearing damage. This is especially common among younger remote workers who turn to music to “motivate” them while they work. While listening to music while you work can inspire you, keep in mind that such a lifestyle is harmful and that loud music is not good for your health.

6. Overweight

Overeating and insufficient exercise are the two main contributors to obesity or being overweight. Most of the energy you consume, especially if it comes from excessive fat and sugar intake, will be stored as fat in your body if you don’t exercise or engage in other forms of physical activity to burn it off. The lower abdomen, neck, hips, butt, thighs, calves, underarms and chest are where you’ll mostly find these fats. Many remote workers today have obvious fat deposits. Being overweight does not occur suddenly or overnight. Because of poor dietary habits and lifestyle decisions, it develops progressively over time.

How you can live healthy while working remotely

1. It is impossible to overstate the value of exercise for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The body’s systems are all improved by exercise. Join a fitness center, sign up for their group exercise classes and maintain your overall health while expanding your social activities to combat loneliness and boredom.
2. As an employer, offer mental health benefits and schedule regular check-ins with remote employees to promote socialization and reduce isolation.
3. Purchase ergonomic items for your remote workspace to avoid bone and muscle-related issues while maintaining good posture when working.
4. Conduct regular ergonomic assessments with a health facility and/ or health professional.
5. As an employer, offer extra allowances that cover purchases of ergonomic items for remote workers.
6. Working with bright white light on your devices isn’t safe for the eyes. You can use blue light or always active night light with reduced screen brightness for your devices. Choose glasses with polarized or tinted glass and an anti-reflective coating if you can afford to.
7. Keep your eyes moist regularly using lubricating drops. Remember to blink frequently and keep your lubricating drops near your computer or in your workspace to easily remember to use them.
8. Always go for regular eye checkups with a health professional.
9. Do not settle for a poor standard workspace. Ensure your workspace is well-ventilated properly. If you do not have the funds to air-condition your workspace, you can ensure there’s improved airflow in and out of your workspace. A flower vase with good green plants would do some good for you.
10. Eat moderately, drink water frequently and most importantly, maintain good health.

Final Words

Every human being needs to live a healthy life. These optimal medical practices might not be feasible given the global economic conditions we currently find ourselves in. However, both as an employer and a remote developer or worker, it’s crucial to take these into account.

These are frequent concerns for healthcare when working from home. Use your best efforts to reduce the risk by following global best practices.

Thanks for reading.

Ciao!!!