Our expert dietitian Sarah Noone provides some top tips on ways to keep healthy while working from home  

Make a To-Do List

It may sound small and simple but a to-do list is an important key to success when working from home. Start every Monday by writing down everything you need to get done that week. Once an item is completed you can tick it off the list. For those items that aren’t as important, or can wait, highlight them and carry them over to next week’s list.

Find a new routine

Leading a healthy lifestyle is all about establishing as many beneficial habits as possible. Starting your morning with a series of healthy habits is a great way to start your day. You might not have realised it when you were going into work each morning but you had a routine. Although your morning routine looks different now you are working from home , try to find one that can a become your new norm. Everyone’s routine will be different but for me I get up early enough to have the time to drink a large glass of water, get dressed, make a healthy breakfast and a cup of coffee . I then head to my home desk to start work for 8.30am.

Set Boundaries

At work you have a set start and end time, an established space to work at and set times for meetings. It is important to set these same work boundaries at home too.

Keep snacks out of sight

This one can be tough but I definitely recommend it.

Here are a few tips to keep those snacks out of sight and out of mind:

-Keep all foods, with the exception of a fruit bowl off the kitchen counters and in cupboards out of sight- this includes the biscuit tin.

-If possible don’t set your wok space up in the kitchen.

-Eat any meals /snacks in the place you would usually eat and avoid grazing at your home desk.

Take your Breaks

Taking a proper lunch break gives you the opportunity to avoid mindless eating at your desk and get out for a lunchtime walk. It is recommended that we all get 30 minutes ofphysical activity five days a week and a lunchtime walk is a great way to achieve this. Additionally, a change in scenery and fresh air will help recharge the batteries before returning to work for the afternoon.

Hydrate

It is easy to mistake thirst for hunger. This means you might reach for snack foods when what your body really needs is fluid. Just as you would fill up a water bottle at the office to keep at your desk, keep water next to your work station at home too. If you have water readily available, chances are you’re more likely to drink it. Try adding a few cucumber slices, wedges of lime or lemon or strawberries for an extra kick.