Those of us who regularly work from home are familiar with the pitfalls of easy-to-access snacks in the kitchen and a lack of activity when our commute consists of a few steps from the bedroom to the home office.
Now, new research from King’s College London has confirmed that almost half of people who moved to home-working during the pandemic gained weight. They were also more prone to snacking, drinking and smoking, although they did eat healthier home-cooked food.
Yet it doesn’t have to be like this. A survey by Zoe, the personal nutrition company, which looked at health behaviour pre- and post-pandemic, showed huge variability between how people responded to working from home. Although some ate more and exercised less, others used the time they gained from not commuting to be more physically active and cook from scratch.
Even though many of us are going back to the office and full-time remote workers are decreasing, the latest data from the ONS shows that hybrid working is here to stay, as 44 per cent of us worked from home at least some of the time in 2023, and half of UK employers are now offering part-time remote work.
That being the case, learning how to avoid falling down the many rabbit holes of WFH that lead to weight gain is a skill we need to learn to avoid that extra stone. Here’s how to make working at home work for you.
The pitfall: getting out of bed too late
It can be tempting to have a lie-in when the boss isn’t beckoning, but seasoned home-workers know that doing this regularly is a road to ruin, with the research showing that inconsistent sleep times lead to tiredness and over-eating.
The solution: head outside for a short morning ‘commute’
Social jet lag, where our sleep is inconsistent, has been shown to lead to greater food intake. Dr Faye Begeti is a neurology doctor, neuroscientist and the author of The Phone Fix: The Brain-Focused Guide to Building Healthy Digital Habits and Breaking Bad Ones. She advises getting up at a regular time every day and going outside in the morning.
She says: “I actively seek out natural daylight in the mornings to regulate the master clock in my brain. This master clock controls the release of hormones that regulate alertness (cortisol) and sleepiness (melatonin).
“Natural morning light is 10 times stronger outside than inside, and is crucial for synchronising this internal clock, as is a predictable time of sleep and waking. “Without these, the clock becomes mistimed and you’re more likely to feel tired and reach for sugary food and drinks.”
If you’re a night owl, you may prefer to get up a bit later, but make sure it’s within the same hour each day. Open the curtains and treat yourself to a short walk to get a coffee or smoothie, or just a brisk stroll around the block.