If you are working as a freelancer, it is safe to assume that most of your time is spent sitting with your laptop.
Did you know sitting for long hours, on a daily basis, can be as harmful as smoking?
Working from home is different than a typical office job because a normal job requires getting prepared, traveling, and walking around in your office. When you are working from home, the only physical activity you have is getting up from bed and going to your work table and then going back to bed.
This is why you need to pay attention to your health. Poor diet and lack of physical activity can lead to many serious problems, including obesity, health problems, and diabetes. Not to forget the pains and strains in many different muscles or joints because of bad posture.
Remember that it is not wise to push yourself over the limits. You must be disciplined enough to take care of your health. Because nothing is more important that your health and wellbeing. Following are some simple but essential tips to help freelancers stay in good health while enjoying the comfort of working from home.
Early to bed and early to rise:
Most freelancers develop the habit of working late at night and then waking up late. It is important that you keep yourself organized. Wake up early and start your day with a solid breakfast.
Make sure that you are taking enough protein, fiber, carbohydrate, and other important nutrients to give you long lasting energy. Don’t go for easy options like sandwich or donuts. It is equally productive to work in the early morning hours instead of late night, and it is a healthier routine as well.
Watch what you eat:
Just because you are at home, it doesn’t mean you can keep going to kitchen and grab some junk food. It is easy to get into binge eating as your mind is stuck at your screen. This will help pass some time but it will ruin your health. The best type of break is to get up and go out for walk. Don’t treat yourself with a soda drink or fries after some work. If you are feeling hungry, use healthy snacks like dry fruits, vegetables, or natural products to deal with the craving.
Watch what you drink:
It is important to keep yourself hydrated and water is the best drink of all. If you really want some flavor, go for natural fruit drinks or vegetable smoothies. Remember that you do not need tea or coffees to stay alert. A cup of green tea, ideally without sugar, can do the same and it doesn’t carry the side effects of caffeine.
Move around:
It is best to use standing desk. You can easily get yourself an adjustable desk, so you can stand after some time. The idea is to avoid sitting for long hours. If you don’t have a standing desk, make sure you stand up and walk around after every 25 – 30 minutes. Even better, go out for jogging because running is good for your health. You will also find plenty of stretching and flexibility exercises on YouTube that you can do at home without any equipment.
Rest and Heal :
You are doing great at exercising, and you should make it a daily or weekly habit. Learn to pause and give your body time to rest and recover from the strenuous physical activities. Deal with postworkout aches, and get soothing and long-lasting pain relief.”
Correct posture:
Invest on a good computer table and chair. Don’t strain your neck, eyes, or hands because it will lead to serious pain and injuries after some months. Sit up straight and make sure you are not sitting like a statue. It is also helpful to have two different chairs because it will help you change your posture.
Sleep well:
Another big mistake is to combine your freelance job with lots of TV or Netflix. Because you don’t have to reach office at a set time, freelancers take the liberty of spending long hours on binge watching TV shows and movies. Sleep is something you cannot neglect. You will never know before the lack of sleep starts to mess up with your physical and mental health. So, make sure you have a proper sleeping schedule and you are taking 7 – 8 hours of sleep.
Try Yoga or Meditation:
Mental health is as important as the physical health and you need to give your mind some rest. You must learn how to focus and relax. If you are not into Yoga, just spend some time on breathing exercises. Jogging has a number of benefits for mental health too. So, you can get into a running routine.
Take some time off:
When you are getting paid by hours, you are naturally tempted to spend all of your time on work. But that is counterproductive because you will reach the point of work related burnout really soon. Even worse, your work quality will get worse and you will lose your jobs. Many remote companies give paid vacations to employees but even if paid vacation is not available, you need to take some time off whenever you feel like it.
