Heartbeat: Review of daily commute does wonders for work from home Krupa
January 6, 2021
In August, we launched the healthy weight element of our wellbeing strategy and encouraged you to get involved with the many options available on Connect.
Krupa Soneji, Access WSL/EPR Consultant, answered the call and immediately turned to review her ‘work commute’ now that her she was mainly ‘work from home’.
Heartbeat spoke to Krupa about her new regime. She said: “I had the idea to reclaim my ‘work commute’ whilst working from home a few months ago. The goal was to separate my work and home space ideologically, allow myself to re-establish routine and get into the mind frame of work and motivate myself to get outside, get active and have some fresh air.
“So, every morning I get ready for work, get dressed and go outside for a walk. It serves as my commute to work. When I leave the house in the morning, I am not at work, when I return from the morning walk I start my working day. At the end of the working day, I close my laptop and again go for a walk. When I return home, I try to be mindful that I am now returning home and leave work behind.”
Krupa says she learned that a simple change applied consistently, impacts her life and lifestyle in a wholesome and holistic manner.
“This activity is a benchmark for my wellbeing – there were some weeks where I felt stressed and overly preoccupied with work,” she continued. “Some weeks, the walk to work stopped happening – this told me I am not getting enough sleep to make the journey, or that I am too tired for the commute home in the evening.
“The lapses made me aware that I am slipping into unhealthy patterns and reminded me that it is important to re-establish the routine. Once I started walking again, I felt more energetic throughout the day.
“The exertion and elevated heartrate stimulated my hunger, so I was more inclined to eat properly and drink less coffee. The first few days re-establishing the walks and the routine that followed were tough, but I persisted and felt better overall.
“Now if I miss a day or two that is acceptable, but by day three, I will get myself back in gear. I feel I am being kind to myself again, in general Krupa today thanks the Krupa who went for a walk yesterday.”
So what does Krupa advise colleagues looking to embark on a similar journey?
“My suggestion to others would be to take time to think about yourself, observe what is important to you and works for you. Find things that motivate the ‘you’ tomorrow to be thankful for the actions you take today. Doing things that I feel grateful to myself for, improves my self-esteem and motivates me to keep going.
“I appreciate that not everyone can get outside to go for a walk or that it may not be what works for them. Whatever you do decide to change, take each day as it comes and wherever possible stick with it, if it lapses return to it. The change doesn’t need to be big, and you may not succeed every day or all the time. When that happens, try not to be too hard on yourself. It’s those days, where I learned I might need to be kind to myself the most.”