Making W.F.H. More Bearable

By Alexander Kwapis

Since March, I have been working from home (W.F.H.) for the first time in my career. Here are a few items I have found that have made my experience more enjoyable.

Balanced Mind

With not being able to get outside and clear my head as often, I have found myself following more guided meditations during this time of sheltering-in-place. Not that this is a revelation that meditation is helpful, but you might not be sure how to get into it. I have discovered The Pelton app as a useful tool. If you are a Pelton treadmill or spin bike owner already and looking for a great guided meditation, try Pelton’s Zen in Ten sessions. If not, I would suggest the popular HeadSpace app.

Bring the Nature In

A few weeks ago, I was listening to the podcast from Connecticut Radio’s Outside/In about How To Be A Backyard Birber while going on one of my daily dog walks in my neighborhood. It got me thinking about how much I love the sound of birds and the forest while outside. With all the science behind how our bodies react to forest bathing, I decided to play bird and nature sounds throughout the day. I have an open loft with a variety of Amazon echo and echo dots all connected as a group. On a low volume, I’ve been playing nature sounds, and they seem to softly fill my home with wild places I can’t reach right now.

Perfect Posture

Some days I feel like I have done nothing but sitting in front of the computer and having Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings all day. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. As a person with a design background, I enjoy finding and refurbishing furniture. These last few weeks, I feel fortunate that years ago, I found and bought a Herman Miller Mira chair, a super ergonomic, airy, and comfortable office chair. Of course, not everyone has access to an amazingly supportive chair like this while at home, and as a result, end up working from their couch all day. Even with such a supportive chair sometimes, I change up my workspace location and end up on the couch. After a few hours, I regret it as my back seizes up, so I wanted to share two solutions I have for when that happens while working from home. Consult your doctor before performing any new exercise.

Flow State

Sometimes I am in meetings where it’s more informative, and I don’t need to present or be in mic so often. When those cases arise during the day, I like to grab my exercise resistance bands and get a short workout in. If I’m taking a lunch and have a little bit more time, I’ll bust out my TRX straps and follow their training app. I love both the resistance bands and the straps because you can use them for a large variety of exercises, and they feel more fun than using an exercise machine will.

Finding That Trigger

There are many foam rollers on the market, but I have found the Trigger Point Performance brand’s Grid Foam Roller to be a key piece of gear to channel oxygen and blood to repair my muscles after sitting at my couch for hours. Purchased initially to loosen my muscles after I have been exercising, I now find myself using it for a midday stretch while working from home. I love the compact size, patented hollow supportive core, and the quality constructed outer foam layer. Of course, you should always consult your doctor before performing any new exercise. I like Healthline’s article and accompanying videos showing you some excellent neck foam rolling moves as well as their post on foam rolling for the back.

Getting The Blood Pumping

I also use the Spoonk acupressure mat to stimulate endorphins, reduce pain spots, and generally get the blood flowing. This experience will be new for many of you, but I promise it is worth it. There is nothing more exhilarating than lying on a bed of 6,210 sturdy plastic acupressure points. Spoonk uses flame retardent US-made Eco-foam inside their GOTS certified 100% cotton fabric. And if you are having trouble getting back to a normal night’s sleep, it has been clinically proven to improve the quality of your sleep. I’ve had mine for years and swear by it. Try it, and you will be hooked.

Comfy and Cozy

As someone that lives in a loft with cement floors, I have found the importance while working from home wearing comfy shoes such as the Teva Ember Moc. Even if you have carpet or hardwood floors, you will love these slip-on footwear. With their collapsible soft heel, I wear mine like slippers, but you can pop on the heel and easily wear them like a sneaker. They’re soft quilted sleeping bag-like uppers with sturdy soles that are suitable for a variety of activities. I originally bought these for anything from car camping in the fall to airplane shoes for international trips to walking the dog around the block. Right now, they are keeping my feet cozy while working from home.

Stabilizing Your Core

Standing and working isn’t just an office fad. Because I have different areas in my house where I can work, I found that I enjoyed standing once in a while to change up my day and work on my overall posture. I purchased an anti-fatigue wooden balance board from FEZIBO. This wobble board is easy on the legs and feet with its ergonomic design. I’m a big guy, and I can appreciate a balance board that is rated to withstand 320lbs of weight. The wood and black rubber mat are not just functional but also look nice in the home office. I will be bringing this into the office once we are back from sheltering-in-place.

#wfh #workingfromhome