How to: Make working from home great

At Lim, we’re really big on physical, mental, and emotional wellness. For us, everything from fitness and nutrition to sleep and mindfulness is fundamental to our daily lives.

If we’re not out visualising your content, our team work virtually from their studios, so we’ve written these guidelines to support people working remotely in looking after their health and wellbeing.

Before you sit at your desk for the day, try to get outside and soak up some natural light, ideally within 30 mins after waking up. This has been proven to increase alertness, boost mood and lower stress. Trust us - it will make a huge difference. Humans aren’t supposed to sit inside all day.

If you can, try working in a space with natural light and views of the outdoors. Studies have shown that natural light in our workspaces can make us feel better because it releases serotonin, which increases our productivity during the day and helps us have better quality sleep at night.

If podcasts are your thing, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Dr. Andrew Huberman talk about the relationship between light and sleep in this episode of Feel Better, Live More. Listen here.

Here’s an infographic we created to capture the highlights of this conversation.

Taking regular breaks is key to a productive day of work. They let your brain process, think and be creative. But it’s the type of break you take that’s important.

Try to get outside, have some time away from your screen and move your body. A short walk will give your brain time to recharge, which will make you feel like you can tackle the rest of the day when back at your desk.

If you feel like this isn’t possible, then even getting up and looking out of the window for a few minutes can help with productivity. Try and avoid scrolling on social media, this can be emotionally tiring and zap energy levels even more. 

Take a look at this article from Harvard Business Review for more insight into how to take productive breaks.

Good nutrition is the foundation to being healthy and feeling energised. Working from home can sometimes make us feel sluggish, so try and choose nutritious meals and snacks that don’t make you feel like you need an afternoon snooze.

We’re really into gut health so we try to eat 30 or more different plants each week, including nuts, seeds, pulses, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Try to eat colourful foods like berries and other fruits — these are rich in polyphenols, which gut bugs love.

For more info on gut health, check out gut guru and scientist, Tim Spector. Here he's talking to Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO.

Ellie, Lim’s Founder and Creative Director, prides herself on making sure her team are happy and that they’ve got a good work/life balance.

Ellie’s mantra is: ‘You need to live a full life to be your best self at work.’

Here are her top tips on achieving that balance so you aren’t overloaded and your mental wellbeing doesn’t suffer:

• Set boundaries between work and personal life.

• Have a designated work area and creative a schedule that works for you.

• Stay connected with team mates through virtual meetings and chats.

• Take time for self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, or hobbies to manage stress and maintain mental well-being.

Having a proper workspace is essential, especially when working from home. We’re all getting ‘tech neck’ because we’re hunched over our screens all day, so make sure you set up your workspace so it works for your body. Invest in a proper chair or standing desk, make sure you’re in a comfortable and neutral position, and that your head and arms aren’t straining.

If you want to find out more, read this from NY Times.

Here’s a handy infographic on how to set up your work space so it works for your body:

If you feel yourself getting stressed and overwhelmed, one of our top tips is to master the breathing technique called The Physiological Sigh. It is super quick and can be done anywhere, so it’s definitely worth learning.

The Physiological Sigh is a breathwork exercise that, explained simply, is a double inhale, followed by an extended exhale to offload the maximum amount of carbon dioxide from our lungs.

Studies have shown that even doing 1-3 of these breaths can bring stress levels down very quickly in the body by slowing the heart rate down and calming your nervous system.

Watch Dr. Andrew Huberman explain the science behind this breathing technique here.

Remember to look after yourself, and always ask for help if you need it.