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For the first 12ish months of WFH I never left my desk. I was glued in and felt terrible for getting up for more than like 5 minutes. I realized that had to change. Now I make myself get up and walk around at least hourly. Sometimes I'm up for 2 minutes, sometimes I stop to take a semi-normal lunch break or do laundry, etc. Just something so that I'm not sitting still for 9 hours each day.
Rising Star
Now I have a standing desk but I drink a lot of water so I take a bathroom break about every hour or so, plus gotta go to the kitchen to fill my bottle. I also will do little chores (switch laundry, etc) to get moving throughout the day.
I used to be like that, but here’s the truth: There’s nothing that can’t wait a few minutes for you to get up and walk around. Meetings and emails will be there regardless. No one will die. No one will notice if you respond in 10 minutes instead of 5. You are allowed to stop to eat food, drink water, exercise, and use the restroom.
Your health matters more than your job, and taking the breaks will probably help you think and work better anyway.
Set short meetings on your calendar to get up and walk if it helps with the guilt.
Rising Star
I walk around the room during the meetings as well.. it helps in relaxing.. if I’m having time between meetings, I try to walk around or do some chores. I also go down to kitchen 2-3 times to fill up my water bottle. If the day permits, I take a short walk (20-25 minutes) around the neighborhood during the lunch time..
My tendency is to sit for hours and hours at my desk without even realizing it, so I have to schedule “get up and move”. There are apps and various ways to do that. But get up every hour and move stretch at minimum. Also rest your eyes and take a break from screens. Eye exercises like looking in the distance etc.
I try to go outside once per day. You can't make vitamin D with sunlight through a window!
What I do is plan to do outdoor chores around lunchtime. Cleaning the pool, mowing the grass, etc. Makes me feel like I've gained time back on my weekends because the chores are taken care of.
Been WFH for 9yrs and don’t think I could go to an office at this point…you have to compartmentalize different parts of your day. Take calls standing up or while walking around if no camera needed. Take a proper lunch break like you would in the office. Take a break and go to the gym for an hour and then keep working if going late etc. if it’s a slow day put on some background tv there’s so much flexibility in being home and owning that space, make it whatever you need!
Remember when we would walk from meeting to meeting? Sometimes just walking around the house or the block can help you not only feel better physically but also be more effective in getting work completed so you’re ultimately not sitting there as long.
Take 5 min breaks for pushups and dips.
Here is a nice 5 min stretch.
It’s designed as a warm up for a workout but I find it perfect stand-alone, several times a day stretch.
Easy to do with whatever you’re wearing and you won’t sweat, it’s just stretching/light warm up
https://youtu.be/Xm1bxAkgVqk
yes - 6:30 am is my first meeting of the day. I type all my notes. My last meeting typically ends between 5 and 6, but sometimes as late as 7 or 8 depending if I'm meeting someone oversees. I do not take notes as well or as fast standing, and I cant use all 3 screens on my standing desk for all my meetings. I try to take as many breaks as I can, but between meetings I'm following up on action items from the meetings.
Do they make chairs that workout butts? Mine is flattening out fast
...sometimes I look up and it's 6:00 PM and my morning coffee is still sitting on my desk, and I'm wondering if I even used the restroom all day... Get me back in the office, this work-from-home is awful.
Was able to expense a desk riser for the top of my dining table, aka “office,” so I can sit/stand, which has made a big difference in energizing on a long day. Background music can sometimes get my feet tapping if the song is good. And like others, I make a point of doing a chore here and there; on low-meeting days, walk around the block at lunch.
I pace around when I’m on the phone.
Chief
Got a standing desk a few months ago and I don’t why I didn’t do it sooner, I guess I thought it was gimmicky but I love it. I also leave my desk at least once every hour, either make a snack, get more water, bathroom break, play with my pet a few minutes or just go stand in my backyard.
I have an under-desk cycle and it was a great investment for those hours where I have to sit because of work/calls. I keep it on a very low setting, it's not to get "cardio" in, but it helps keep me feeling like I'm moving and helps my circulation and that sluggish feeling.
I also try to pay attention to my Fitbit which tells me to get 150 more steps in at 10 minutes before each hour. I get up, walk around the house, walk downstairs and back up, put a couple things away, then when it buzzes I go back. It only takes a minute or two, no more than a bathroom break.
I feel this. I don't really get up while working unless I need to go to the bathroom or grab food