Working From Home Is Taking a Toll on Our Bodies. How Do We Deal With it?

When we initially began being locked at home, we were all much chipper and optimistic. Look at the positive side, we said. And for some of us, it was nothing short of a dream. We got to stay at home all the time (!), spend more time with our family and friends, work comfortably from our couch, and avoid wading through traffic or dressing up every day. We could Netflix over lunch, sneak in a nap after without the bosses knowing, and save money that otherwise flowed into cab and dinner bills.

And then we spent a few weeks in and realised staying at home had lost its charm. Working on the sofa stopped being fun the moment our backs started creaking, Netflixing all day was just giving us headaches, the face masks were leaving us with zits, and our unwashed hair was making us itch our sweaty scalps.

Now, a few months into the pandemic, it almost feels like we’ve spent ourselves—both mentally and physically. We had already been struggling with our mental health—the adjustment into a lifestyle completely different from what we were used to so sudden took a toll on all of us. On some days, we feel tired for no reason and honestly, we are still grappling with coming to terms with reality. Despite not being very physically active for the past few months— because of not being very physically active for the past few months—our bodies don't feel like the best version of ourselves anymore. It is not only our mental slump, but also physical problems that are making our days harder. Eyes hurt and hands hurt and head hurts and back hurts and waking up on some days especially hurts.

So, we talked to experts to find out what is up with our bodies, and more importantly, how do we deal with it?

Unlike our office setups where we would move around and have at least partly ergonomic chairs, working at home provides little opportunities for movement and catching a break over some office gossip. At home, we sometimes end up sitting on a ratty couch or dining table not meant to be sat at for long hours, not moving until we’ve finished our work. And that is where the problem arises. “Staying at one place for such a long time in the wrong posture and not moving is how you end up hurting your back,” says spine surgeon Dr Saurabh Kapoor.

But don’t fret much, he says, it is manageable if taken the right steps. “Understand that backache is something that is very common. 80 percent of individuals will have backache at least once a year, while 60 percent of us will have it more than once a year,” adds Kapoor. "When taken care of properly, it won’t cause any lasting damage.”

So, how do we take care of it? Practise proper posture while sitting and walking, don’t sit for hours at a stretch, exercise your back regularly, and don't slouch—these are all the things he says will help in dealing with back pain. But if it persists and lasts for longer, it is always recommended to consult a doctor. “Any back pain—or any pain for that matter—that becomes a part of your life is not casual anymore,” he says. “Any ache that lasts over one or two months and cannot be controlled or reduced with these measures, should be consulted with a proper spinal surgeon.”

Sometimes an extension to back pain, necks are feeling the stress of our sitting at our laptops or watching television too—leading to something called “tech-necks”. Monitor the height of your computer screen, and make sure it’s at eye level. Stop craning into the screen over Zoom calls, be aware of your posture, and make sure to catch a break.

Another part of the body that has been severely affected due to our erratic routines are our hands, especially our wrists and thumbs. After long hours of continuous work, even your fingers on some days would’ve felt stiff and sore. In more serious cases, it can even lead to the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, whereas our wrists cramp and lead to reduced strength. And in severe cases, can even lead to death due to blood clotting.

When we are at home, we tend to go a little loose on our skincare. It is not like anyone is going to see us anyway, right? We break our routines—just a little—and make ourselves comfortable. Some of us might be putting off washing our hair for a week, even ten days at a stretch (or is that just me?). "But that leads to sweat, oil and dust accumulation on the scalp, causing infection and hair fall,” says cosmetic dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad.

Moreover, housework plays a role here too.. “Since you are exposed to dirt and bacteria as you are doing household chores, not cleaning up enough can lead to the development of pimples and acne on your face,” adds Sharad. “Additionally, since you are washing and sanitising your hands so often, the lipid bacteria layer of the skin tends to peel off, causing skin infections.”

We have also been watching a lot of late-night Netflix and have been glued to our phones with harsh lights. This leads to dark circles and dullness of skin, says Sharad. “Also, when people wear masks, oil also gets clogged behind the surface of the mask, leading to pimples.”

Adding to all of this is the existential stress we are all collectively feeling. “Stress has also increased hair fall and pimples and dulled the shine of our skin,” adds Sharad. “The only thing you can do is maintain a proper routine to take care of your skin. Wash your face twice a day, and use a salicylic acid based face wash if your skin is prone to acne. Don’t forget to use sunscreen because you’re exposing yourself to too much blue light from screens. A sunscreen with SPF 30 and PA+++ should do. Use wide-bristle combs and avoid heat treatment. You can also take supplements.”

We don’t even need to talk about how much and how often we are damaging our eyes. Between your 12-year-old cousin glued to Minecraft, your partner who insists on finishing the show season before sleeping, and you, who's been staring at that one Word document (or worse still, Excel sheet) for hours, all of us have been straining our eyes.

“When we stare at a screen for long, our blinking time reduces. Where we should be blinking 18 to 20 times a minute, we are only able to blink 10-12 times,” says eye specialist and senior consultant Dr Lowai Dawoodi. “It is very common and is known as Computer Vision Syndrome. This leads to straining, irritation, dryness of the eyes, and subsequently, even headaches.”

And while we had the habit of being glued to our screens pre-pandemic as well, the lack of opportunities to go out has only increased our screen time. “It is important to consciously take care of our eyes while using screens,” he says. “Firstly, take minor breaks while working; consciously blink 18-20 times a minute so your eye doesn’t strain; make sure the light of the computer is neither too bright nor too dim; and keep your device at an accurate distance from you—neither too far nor too close.”

And while eye strains don’t lead to permanent eye damage, he recommends having periodic eye checkups and frequently washing your eyes.

Apart from giving specific advice on how to take care of our bodies, all of the doctors we spoke with strongly emphasised on doing the things we’ve had trouble doing these past few months: Watching what we eat and maintaining a proper sleep routine. When even in ‘normal’ times, approximately 30 to 35 percent of us experienced acute, or short-term, insomnia, it is only natural that a change in environment and increased stress would worsen our sleep disorders. “Keep a rhythm, even if it’s a different time of day than it used to be,” says Donn Posner, adjunct clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine at a Harvard Public Health online forum. “Avoid napping, or at least cut it short. And if you can’t sleep do not try to force it.”

Amid our Dalgona coffees, banana breads, and 2 a.m. binges, most of us have had trouble sticking to healthy food. But with our creaking bodies and aching eyes, hopefully we will now fall into healthier routines.

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