Why Self-Care Matters for Remote Workers

Putting yourself before your clients, family obligations, or a looming deadline isn’t always an easy choice to make. Self-care is particularly important for independent professionals—especially if you work remotely.

Self-care practices will help you to stay happy, healthy, and motivated. And that ultimately benefits both you and everyone around you. Working remotely and running your own business is both incredibly freeing and exciting, and incredibly stressful and difficult. Self-care can help you find that ideal balance of achieving business goals and feeling fulfilled as your own person.

Take Care of Yourself Physically

Take time throughout the day to get moving. Spending hours in your office chair taking calls or answering emails is a quick recipe for burnout. Whether you take a short walk around the block, do an online workout class, walk your dog, or step away from your screen for a 5-minute meditation, getting up and moving will have a positive impact on your productivity for the rest of the day.

Take Care of Yourself Mentally

So much brain power goes into managing a business. It can be easy to get bogged down in paperwork, numbers, and networking. Get out of the daily grind and give yourself a mental break from work by finding a creative outlet.

That could be doing the daily crossword puzzle, journaling for 10 minutes each afternoon, or tackling a home improvement project. Anything that takes your mind off of work and gives you a clear change of pace will help you return to work with fresh eyes.

Check out: 10 Business Books to Read if You’re a Consultant

Take Care of Yourself Socially

Working remotely can feel very isolating. Even if you are talking with clients on the phone or meeting up with colleagues to network, all of those conversations are work-related. Reset your mood by meeting up with a friend for coffee, chatting for a few minutes with a family member, or going on a walk with a neighbor.

Or, if you feel like you’re getting plenty of social interaction during your work day, schedule some downtime for yourself. Take a walk and listen to a podcast, find a quiet space to read, or decompress by listening to music.

A fun and different type of networking: How to Network with Your Peers

Take Care of Yourself Emotionally

Emotional care is incredibly important when you work remotely. It can be so easy to get stressed out or zoned into work. One way to help create a positive emotional environment is making sure your workspace is a place you feel secure and happy. Make sure your work area has good lighting, reliable internet, and a comfortable chair. Then, decorate it with things that bring a smile to your face: plants, family photos, or a healthy snack drawer.

Another tactic for emotional care is to create a schedule that works best for you. Some people do their best work first thing in the morning, while others may need a longer morning routine before finding their groove. Experiment to find the schedule that works best for you and then talk to clients and family members about setting boundaries around that schedule. That will allow you to focus on work during peak productivity hours, and be more flexible to other activities during your downtime.

Try this: 7 Techniques To Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder (Whether You’re Self Employed or Not)