In the world of remote work, striking a balance between productivity and wellbeing is paramount. With the right strategies, you can enhance your work-from-home experience and promote overall wellness. In this post, we will explore some practical ways to achieve just that.
Optimize Your Home Office
Establishing an efficient organizational system is crucial for creating a productive home workspace. Clutter can cause stress and hinder productivity, so investing in storage solutions like bins and shelves is important. Additionally, optimizing the location and layout of your home office can maximize space and workflow efficiency and enhance your overall wellbeing during remote work. This may include ensuring that you have adequate desk space, a comfortable chair, natural light, a quiet location in your home to dedicate to work (if possible), etc.
Prioritize Physical Activity
Incorporating regular physical activity into your routine is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health while working remotely. Exercise releases endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that promote feelings of happiness and reduce stress. Schedule time for workouts or outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, or yoga sessions. Even short bursts of movement throughout the day can improve circulation, posture, and overall wellbeing. Prioritizing physical activity not only boosts your energy levels but also enhances your mood and productivity during remote work.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is crucial for maintaining focus and energy levels throughout the day. Dehydration can lead to decreased cognitive function and fatigue, hindering your productivity. Keeping a water bottle nearby serves as a constant reminder to drink water regularly. Setting reminders on your phone or computer can help establish a routine of taking water breaks. By staying hydrated, you will feel more alert and focused while working from home.
Nourish Your Body with Balanced Meals
Eating a nutritious diet sustains energy levels and overall health during remote work. Plan and prepare meals ahead to ensure healthy options are readily available, incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods and sugary snacks to prevent energy crashes and maintain productivity.
Establish a Consistent Daily Routine
Establishing a structured daily routine is vital for maintaining work-life balance and wellbeing while working remotely. Setting clear work hours and break times helps establish boundaries and reduce stress. Taking regular breaks throughout the day is crucial for preventing burnout and maintaining mental wellbeing. Use break time to engage in activities that relax and rejuvenate you, such as going for a walk, practicing mindfulness, or enjoying a healthy snack. Avoid the temptation to work through breaks, as this can lead to fatigue and decreased productivity over time. Planning activities outside of work promotes relaxation and enjoyment, which also contributes to overall wellness in a remote work setting.
Consider a New Job If Necessary
If your remote job is not meeting your career aspirations or is excessively stressful, consider looking for new opportunities that align better with your skills, interests, and values. Remote work is not appealing or satisfying for everyone, so do not feel compelled to stay in a remote work setting if you can secure other in-person work opportunities.
In the realm of remote work, prioritizing wellness is essential for achieving both productivity and satisfaction. By implementing simple yet effective strategies such as staying hydrated, optimizing your home office, and prioritizing physical activity, you can enhance your remote work experience and cultivate a healthier work-life balance. Remember to listen to your body and prioritize self-care to thrive in your remote work environment.
This guest blog article was written by Eleanor Wyatt of Remote Work Wellness.
This article on the Money Geek website provides some general guidelines on saving for retirement, including how much to save and what to prioritize at different life stages. It features “expert commentary,” including a section by Renee Sewall, financial adviser for PFS. Renee offers guidance on the following questions from Money Geek:
Check out the article, and as always, let us know if you have questions about how this pertains to you and your specific financial situation.
Planning for retirement often takes a backseat for many young workers, much to the chagrin of their parents and employers. But given that the number of pension plans in the United States continues to shrink— and Social Security benefits are generally insufficient to replace a worker’s income in retirement— it is crucial for workers to build a retirement nest egg. Furthermore, starting to save for retirement early has numerous advantages over kicking the can down the road until later in one’s career. Setting aside a portion of one’s income for retirement early in one’s career ensures not only more years of saving but allows the investments to benefit from decades of compounding and establishes a lower level of expenses (as compared with spending every dollar that one makes) that a young worker will need to sustain in retirement. Whether you aim to educate young employees or secure a prosperous future for your child, here are three tips to emphasize the significance of retirement planning and motivate action.
1. Educate Young Employees about the Available Options
Recent college graduates often find themselves uncertain about retirement planning due to their lack of knowledge about available options. They may feel daunted and unsure about where to begin and how much they should save. However, by providing them with information about their investment choices and helping them identify the approach that suits them best, they are more likely to consider contributing to retirement accounts.
How Much to Save: As a general rule of thumb, if you start saving for retirement in your 20s, you should aim to save 10% to 12% of your salary (including any employer match) toward retirement. Therefore, if your employer offers a 3% match and you are able to save 9% of your salary, you are on a good trajectory toward having an adequate amount of retirement savings. Obviously, it is helpful to check with a financial planner a decade or two later to make sure that you are still on a sustainable path in light of your particular circumstances (level of income, kids, etc.), but this rule of thumb is a reasonable starting point.
Where to Save: If a young worker has access to a retirement plan through work, that is generally their best option. It will likely be the easiest to set up and (most importantly) may include an employer matching contribution. If not, they could consider setting up a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. Below is an overview of the most common retirement savings options:
2. Educate Young Workers on the Benefits and Necessity of Retirement Savings
Ensuring access to reliable educational resources is crucial as many individuals hold the misconception that they can solely rely on Social Security benefits for their retirement. It is essential to assist young workers in understanding when it is appropriate to retire and the financial requirements necessary to support their desired lifestyle during retirement. They must take into consideration, for example, the need for investment returns that exceed inflation and number of years that they might want to spend in retirement prior to life expectancy. By equipping employees with the knowledge of what it takes to secure their future, they are more likely to actively engage in proactive retirement preparation.
3. Inspire them to Invest by Integrating ESG Strategies
According to a Stanford research study, a significant majority of millennials have concerns regarding the environmental and social issues, like carbon emissions and income inequality, and most think that mutual fund managers should consider these views when voting on environmental or social issues. In light of this, offering fund options that include environment, social, and governance (ESG) investment strategies can be influential in motivating workers to save for retirement. By incorporating ESG strategies, individuals can better align their retirement planning investments with their personal values, which may hold appeal for millennials and Gen Z.
Final Thoughts
Motivating young employees to save for retirement may seem daunting, but it is not impossible. By providing education and resources on financial planning, educating young workers on retirement options and benefits, and creating a culture of financial responsibility, employers can help their young workforce build a strong financial future. The earlier employees start saving, the better off they will be in the long run. So, let’s work together to empower our young workforce to take control of their finances and plan for a bright future ahead!
Author Bio
Rick Pendykoski is the owner of Self Directed Retirement Plans LLC, a retirement planning firm based in Goodyear, AZ. He has over three decades of experience working with investments and retirement planning. Over the last 10 years, he has turned his focus to self-directed accounts and alternative investments.
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