Adapting to working from home in this Covid-19 pandemic

Harriet James @harriet86jim

The Corona pandemic has prompted a shift in how business is done. For Daniel Mainye, who works for Cytonn Investments, the change from working an 8am to 5pm job to working from home has been a mix of the good and the bad as he tries to adjust to his new life. 

“Of course you get to achieve more due to less distraction, and you really are in control than when in the office and people are passing by saying ‘Hi’ trying to discuss irrelevant stuff sometimes and eating into your precious time.

“But I also find it lonely because sometimes that passing by and being distracted gets you to take a few minutes off work and re-energise or engage with staff,” he says. 

Relief anxiety

 To get his work done on time and also safeguard from the side effects of sitting for too long working on the computer, Mainye had designed an exercise plan. 

“I subscribed to an online yoga package… which has a mix of exercises that I can use. I started with the 30-day programme and got to love it,” he explains. 

From his childhood, Mainye used to wake up early at  5 am, a habit he has maintained even while working from home. 

He starts his day with around 30 minutes of exercising followed by another 30 minutes of mind exercises to relieve anxiety. 

“This enables me to keep fit and still enjoy some mind exercises,” he says.

Mainye also cycles around his apartment block to ensure he keeps fit. Before the virus, he would cover 60km on Sundays and go to the office daily using his bike whenever he did not have a meeting. 

Research indicates that sitting for long hours brings a number of health issues such as obesity, increased high blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist as well as abnormal cholesterol level. 

It also indicates that people can minimise their chances of cancer and cardiovascular diseases by reducing the time they spend sitting.

“When a person sits all day, they minimise the amount of oxygen entering their body.

There is lung compression from this posture which leads to less space for your lungs to expand when you breathe limiting the amount of oxygen that fills your lungs,” says Dr Eileen Adhiambo, who works with patients suffering from back-related ailments at Siaya General Hospital .  

Lucy Muema, who together with her two partners  run the Fat Loss Laboratory Franchise, have a few ideas on how to keep fit while at home during this period.

Play games

“It is important to set goals so that you achieve a proper wellness regime that incorporates a well-balanced diet and exercise regime. 

“Physical activity is very important and one should set aside at least 30 minutes per day to exercise at the comfort of their home; you could break this into 10 minutes of exercise at different times to suit your needs,” says Muema.

Walking for 30 minutes too can be done even in limited spaces you can walk on the spot or jog for several minutes, alternate with squats, lunges and jumping jacks. Remember to wear appropriate recommend gear. 

“Always avoid sitting for too long on the couch watching TV. You can stand, walk around the house or engage in in-door games with the kids such as dancing.

Self-quarantine can also cause additional stress and have negative effects on mental health, wellbeing and quality of life,” she says.