COVID-19 has officially changed the way the world runs. More than ever, people are staying home (whether by choice or mandate), spending more time with their families, avoiding public events, and yes, working from home. Essential employees, such as frontline healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, sanitation crews and workers rendering city services, are still having to report in person, but COVID-19 has made a third of Americans (over 100 million people) switch to home work.
This can be extremely beneficial if you live with a disability or chronic disease, and can be helpful if you live with diabetes. And while Americans still work more than anyone else in the industrialized world, working from home can help balance the stress of diabetes management. Here are some of the benefits of working from home if you live with diabetes.
No Commute
Let’s face it, commuting is not fun. The average American working full-time (8 hours a day, 5 days a week) commutes an average of 4.35 hours a week and over 200 hours (nearly nine days) per year. That is a lot of wasted time. With rising costs of living and stagnant wages, more people live farther and farther from their jobs, and have longer commutes than ever, which can cut into both one’s sleep and time for exercise. “Commuting” from your bedroom to your home-office leaves more time for quality sleep, morning exercise, and a healthy breakfast, which can set your blood sugars up for an excellent day, which can increase work productivity as well.
Not commuting will also save lots of money that would normally be spent on parking, car maintenance, tolls, and gasoline. Even if you normally take public transit to work, metro and bus tickets add up quickly! Working from home is also much better for the environment; transportation accounts for one-third of all greenhouse gases produced in the United States. Staying at home for cleaner air is an easy and simple way to help the planet.
Healthier Meals
Takeaway Chinese food or pizza at lunchtime can be a blood sugar nightmare. Working from home affords people the ability to cook easy, healthy meals in their kitchens, which is not only a healthier option, but saves money, too. It’s easy to cook lentils or beans in a slow cooker, or wash and chop up fruits and veggies for a quick grab and go snack if you get the afternoon munchies. Additionally, check out these easy, low-carb recipes that you can quickly make from the comfort of your own home!
Fewer Sick Days
People who work from home both take fewer sick days and get sick less often (no sharing germs in a communal setting or on the train en route to work!). Also, going into an office with a mild cold or flu can be miserable, but doing some work from home is almost always accessible. Plus, diabetes can mean dawn phenomenon, a kinked pump site midday, or a bad low that would previously require coming in late or leaving early- none of which would be necessary with a work from home schedule. It’s healthier for everyone!
No Judgement
Ever take a correction dose during a meeting, and get the side-eye from a nosey coworker? Ever have someone compare your diabetes to their distant relative who died of horrible complications from diabetes (when you never asked for the story?). Are people always questioning what you’re eating (or not eating), or how much you exercise (or how much you don’t)? Working from home prevents judgement and prodding questions, and you can go about your day and take the best care of yourself without intervention from others.
A Flexible Schedule
This can depend on your organization or company, but many offering work from home will grant their employees some flexibility in their schedules. If you have an endocrinologist appointment in the morning, shifting your work schedule back an hour or two can prevent the need to take personal leave for the entire day. Likewise, a flexible schedule can allow for a lunchtime run, which can counteract high blood sugars in the afternoon. Need to change your pump site or CGM midday? Working from home can let you do all that while still getting you work done. Flexibility is key to excellent diabetes management, and working from home makes it much easier.
Have you been working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic hit? How has it benefited you and your diabetes management? Is there anything that you particularly like or dislike about working from home? Share your story in the comments below; we love hearing from our readers!
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