stepping it up
or, how working from home sank my steps
As I come off this plantar pain, it’s time for me to address the drastic difference between my step count on a normal day working from my house when compared to my step count on the one or two days I go into the office each week.*
Office Lindsay, both pre-pandemic and now that I’m back-ish, is a mover. She takes emotional laps around her floor between meetings, does a mile around the building at lunch, and randomly wanders up and down staircases when whatever she’s writing or creating isn’t doing what she’d hoped. So. Many. Steps.
Work From Home (WFM) Lindsay, on the other hand, works in what was the extra bedroom in her house that became an office when the world shut down and is glued to the random Wayfair office chair she bought at the start of the pandemic and only walks downstairs for a between meetings seltzer or lunch or to run out to pick up her child. WFH Lindsay didn’t exist, really, in the before-times as her guy works from home full time and she does better with strong work/life boundaries and a commute to transition between the two. An embarrassing low step count.
I’ve been working with my nutritionist/mindset coach about self-limiting identities; if I identify as someone who “is always injured”, for example, it’s hard to have intention and belief in starting a consistent workout routine because I’m always waiting to get hurt again (oof, that’s for another day!). In this case, I’ve always said that I’m awful at working from home and never find time take advantage of my treadmill or walking trail or breaks, and that’s exactly what I am right now.
So, I’m trying to move past that and reinvent WFH Me as being more like Office Me. I have my best ideas moving! I take emotional laps! I get fresh air! Obviously, it takes more than how I think of myself to get myself actually moving, but getting my mental game on the right track is hopefully a step in the right direction.**
*obviously, step counts are subjective and so much of physicality and life can impact them. This is just where I’m at!
**oof, sorry for all the walking/movement puns
This is interesting - I'm the opposite. When I work from home I have nature and lovely walks outside the door, while going for walks in town, however lovely our town is, is quite uninspiring. I did my 150k challenge all on my work from home days!
ReplyDeleteWell done with your decision to reinvent the WFH you! Perhaps I should do the same when I work in the office (but I feel ok about not moving as much those days because they're my gym days). And - what you said about identifying as someone who will soon be injured again was very thought-provoking, because I think I'm the same! Thanks for a good reminder, I'm going to need to work on my runner mindset.
I need to learn from you! I just sit down and don't really stop working. I tell my team to take walks and breaks, but then don't follow through with myself, sigh. BUT, my plan next week is to book short breaks/bursts into my calendar. If I get a pop-up right in my face, hopefully I, too, will pop-up!
DeleteIt's so interesting how we discover things about ourselves as time goes on - and as we move through a pandemic! My husband's step count went way UP when he was working at home as he would go for walks on his lunch break. Back at the office, he just doesn't! Maybe he needs more emotional laps?
ReplyDeleteI totally stole "emotional laps" from Adrian Williams, haha! But it changed my life - I really do walk away and take a lap when I'm getting too into something (or too frustrated)!
DeleteWhen I'm home, I walk the dog SO MUCH. Because I CAN! And she wants to. When I'm at work, I walk from the car to the office and that's about it. Interesting that we're opposites!
ReplyDeleteThe dog we have right now, Bella, was my mom's and Bella has such walk anxiety! She'll do zoomies in the backyard, but she can't handle any public place, sigh. I would get out so much more if she could come with me!
DeleteI just read Atomic Habits by James Clear, and he says the most important thing about developing good habits is your identity. For example, if you think of yourself as a healthy person it's easier to get in the habit of exercising every day (or whatever healthy habit you're trying to implement.) So I agree that getting your mental game on track is a crucial step- I think it will work well for you!
ReplyDeleteOh, those tying together makes so much sense! I'll have to pick up that book; I've heard so many people got so much from it.
DeleteOoh, I'm like you too where I'm much better at moving when I'm in the office - I think partly that's because my time at work is very scheduled so I know where my breaks are. When I'm at home working on projects, I am so sedentary because no one has handed me a schedule about my day. Plus I feel so much more settled and cozy at home.
ReplyDeleteThat mental shift, is such a good point, too. I like the term "emotional laps"... does that mean that you don't get emotional when you WFH, though?
I wish it means I didn't get emotional when I WFH!! But I sit and stew or look at chores I need to do and then dive back into work, sigh. But, here's to better habits in the coming weeks. I truly can only go up from here!
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