How Does Telecommuting Affect Health?

In this period of pandemic, many people stopped working face-to-face and switched to a telecommuting regime, doing home office through computers and the Internet. This is a new situation for most, and it has advantages and disadvantages. Next, we’ll explain how telecommuting affects your health.

What is telecommuting?

Although it is an option that is not possible for all types of functions, telecommuting consists of performing your role in the company in a place far from its headquarters; that is, without having to go to the office.

This  is done through communication technologies, whether by videoconference, email or other digital tools.

What are the advantages of telecommuting?

In the current pandemic situation we are going through, the main advantage of teleworking is that it allows you to  continue your professional activity without leaving your home, so it is compatible with social isolation.

Furthermore, regardless of its role in this exceptional situation, telecommuting has many other advantages. Some of them are as follows:

• It makes it possible for the worker not to have to travel to the workplace. Thus, people save time and money on a daily basis, as they don’t have to pay for public transport or gasoline, and they don’t waste time in traffic.
• Allows you to spend more time at home : more time with children or doing household chores.
• It favors the self-management of each employee. Although in some companies working hours are pre-set even in telecommuting, in others this is not the case, and some deadlines will simply be necessary to complete the corresponding tasks. In this case, each person will be free to distribute their working hours.

How does telecommuting affect our health?

Although, as we’ve seen, it has many advantages, there are also some disadvantages to telecommuting. We must keep in mind that we are social beings. With telecommuting, we lose the habit of going to the office and interacting with colleagues.

This, most of the time, gives us well-being and relaxes us, allowing us to relate to other people. Lonely working days at home can increase our anxiety.

Another disadvantage comes from the use of technologies. Sitting in front of the computer for too long can generate boredom and anxiety. In addition, it can cause us other discomforts, such as:

• Eye irritation.
• Cervical tension.
• Muscle pain in the back and neck.
• Headaches.

Likewise,  by not having a transportation routine, we spend less energy. Telecommuting often means getting out of bed and sitting, after a few minutes, in front of your computer screen, without much more physical activity during the day.

This can make us not spend as much energy as we are used to and hinder the quality of sleep, which  can lead to insomnia problems and schedule disorders.

Another consequence of lack of physical activity is digestive problems. Lack of movement causes our digestive system not to function as it should. Digestions become heavier, and we may have problems with constipation, feeling full, gas, or heartburn.

It is also possible that the opposite happens and that, due to the accumulated anxiety, we are constantly hungry.

Manage telecommuting to take care of your health

While telecommuting undoubtedly has many benefits for everyone, we should keep in mind that it also affects health negatively. However, it is true that  many of these disadvantages have a solution.

Maintaining healthy habits, with pre-defined schedules and good postural hygiene, are some of the measures that can make it more bearable. Also, it  is important that we monitor our meals on these days of low physical activity.

Another tip is to establish a daily exercise routine that we can do at home to keep fit, release tension, and use up energy. With all these guidelines, it will be easier to work from home and we will be able to enjoy the good things that this practice offers us.