It's relatively easy to get the technology running to work from home. The hard part is the doing. Don't beat yourself up! Try this tiny tip on...

Staying Healthy (Food)

I'm not a nutritionist, so please make sure what I'm suggesting makes sense for you and your body.

Changing to remote work can easily trigger different eating behaviors, healthy and unhealthy. For me, those changes are

  • What food is available?
  • How easily can I get to it?

As I'm writing this, we are of course in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has changed what people can find at grocery stores, let alone when then can buy. It's also changing people's relationship with food.

Take Stock of Your Stock - and Junk

This will only take a minute:

  1. Write down all the healthy snacks and drinks you can think of that are in the house. Got it? Do it first, really. You need all those healthy snacks in your head before moving on.
  2. Next, write down all the junk food. Notice I'm not judging what's healthy and junk. That's up to you.
  3. Finally, get up and find where those foods reside. In the fridge, on a counter, next to your computer, squirreled away under your son's or daughter's (or your) bed. Wherever.

You now have a reasonably accurate picture of how you think about eating. After all, you bought it or allowed it to be bought. You put it there, or allowed it to stay there.

What's Easier? The Banana or the Banana Moon Pie?

Did you find a pattern of where healthy vs junk were located? Was it easier to grab a bag of chips than a bag of wasabi chickpeas?

Whatever's closest is what you'll eat. Your body craves. Overriding that craving take effort. Brain effort. Your body hates brain effort.

Pick one--just one, for now--healthy snack or drink that can stay on your desk for a day. If there's any other snack on your desk, put it in a closet. Now sit at your desk and say to yourself five times:

When I crave a snack, I'll have you, right there! Then I'll smile, take a break, and replace you.

That's it. That's your routine for the next week. Healthy snack on desk, imagine the plan five times, eat, repeat.

Finally

We're still making use of behavioral science. In this case:

  1. Make it easy
  2. Imagine the positive outcome before imagining the negative. Always this order.
  3. Celebrate little victories

Be curious. Will you have the healthy snack today or not? If not, what can you do to make it easier, or more attractive?

Don't punish yourself. Coach yourself.

References