How Diabetics Can Stay Healthy and Productive While Working From Home

If you're a freelancer, you likely work from home. After all, many contracts don't require you to be physically present just to complete a project. All you need to do is ensure you stay productive and submit the best quality work possible. Working in a dedicated space, limiting distractions, and "clocking out" after a certain time each day can help. However, you'll have to go beyond these tips to stay healthy if you have diabetes.

The insulin resistance caused by this condition can blur your vision, make you dizzy, and lead to fatigue, all of which can negatively impact your productivity. These effects can be exacerbated by the fact that remote work can lead to weight gain. At home, you'll move less and be closer to your pantry than you would otherwise be in an office, and that can make you more vulnerable to becoming overweight and obese. Obesity is already considered the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes, contributing to 44% of all cases of the condition worldwide. If you're already diabetic, though, excess weight can worsen insulin resistance and the diabetes symptoms that affect your productivity.  

That makes managing the condition and staying healthy the most effective strategy you can try to ensure you always work at your best. Here are some ways diabetics can do so when working from home. 

Watch what you eat

To prevent diabetes from impacting your productivity, you need to control your blood sugar levels. Aside from taking prescription medications, the best way to do so is by watching what you eat. That's especially true since the refined carbohydrates and added sugars in processed food can significantly spike your blood sugar. In contrast, nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, meat, and whole grains can lower it while giving you the energy boost you need to get more done. As an added bonus, they can help you maintain a healthy weight.

However, there's no one-size-fits-all diet for diabetics. That's why you should consider getting personalized advice from a dedicated diabetes weight loss program. The best ones go beyond calorie counting to provide a customized nutrition plan that isn't restrictive, along with an app-based glucose monitor so you can easily track your blood sugar levels throughout the workday. By taking both calories and nutrients into account, such programs can guide you toward enjoyable food that can prevent the excess weight gain that can worsen diabetes—and, in turn, minimize how much the condition impacts your remote work productivity. You can use the recommendations you get to tailor the contents of your pantry to your needs, so you don't need to stress about what you have on hand to snack on while working at home. 

Make time to exercise

Regular physical activity is particularly crucial for diabetics because it improves insulin sensitivity, controls cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and burns calories. That means working out can help lower your blood sugar, regulate other factors that make you more vulnerable to weight gain and other diabetes complications, and ultimately boost your productivity. Since freelancers don't work a 9 to 5, though, it can be challenging to make time for other things while working from home. However, you'll want a structured schedule all the same if you're looking to achieve a healthy work-life balance, and more so if you want to make room in your work week for exercise.

Aside from avoiding taking on too much work at once, our time management guide recommends dividing your day into two three-hour chunks or following the tried-and-tested 10-to-18 schedule. These methods can help you set boundaries and more easily dedicate time to do a quick workout every day. Streamlining your workflows themselves can also help you complete tasks faster. You may find our Upwork tool especially useful. It can automatically generate relevant leads for you, so you can fully focus on completing your daily tasks and slotting in an exercise routine instead of wasting hours scouring the internet for your next client. 

Don't forget your eyes

Vision is one of the most important senses you'll need to stay productive. However, both remote work and diabetes can affect your eyesight. You'll likely be looking at a screen up close for hours each day, which can strain your eyes and cause fatigue and headaches. Diabetics are also more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy. This condition occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the eyes' blood vessels, causing them to leak. It's one of the leading causes of blindness among working-age adults. To prevent these adverse outcomes, prioritize eye care while working from home.

A great way to start is by preventing eye strain through the 20-20-20 rule. Taking a break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds can relax the eye muscles, so things like headaches don't get in the way of your work. The aforementioned nutrition and exercise practices can also help lower your blood sugar levels and prevent eye damage. However, you'll also want to undergo specialized eye screenings for diabetics at least once a year. Here, an optometrist or ophthalmologist will gauge your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy and give you tailored advice on how to lower that risk. If you already have it, yearly screenings can help spot and treat it early. Many eye care providers allow you to book these tests online, so making an appointment won't take much time out of your day as you work from home.