Do you work as a blogger, freelancer or run a home based business in any kind of capacity? While this can be incredible for the right kind of person, there are some health risks that you are particularly prone to. Here is how you can help to ward them off with 4 tips.
1. Get outside more
When you work from home you tend to be inside a lot. The same is true in many other workplaces, but you don’t even have colleagues to take a walk outside with when you work for yourself so it is easy to end up staying in and getting cabin fever. Make the effort to take breaks, walk your dog at lunchtime or do some work in the garden if it is a nice day. The natural light is beneficial for your mental health and also enables you to soak up some vitamin D.
2. Avoid snacking on the wrong things
When you are in a traditional workplace, your hours tend to be set and you tend to eat at roughly the same time each day. However, when you are working from home it is easy to snack too often and eat the wrong things. Any gastro doctors will tell you that a lot of issues people have with their digestion and the way they feel in general come down to poor lifestyle choices, and it is something those that work from home are prone to. If you are reaching for biscuits with every cup of tea, snacking on unhealthy foods and eating too much at lunchtime then the effects will soon start to show.
Some people also eat out of stress, which can be caused by working too much and not being able to separate work and personal lives.
3. Get enough exercise
If you are working from home, it is likely that whatever you are doing is pretty sedentary. You are of course not alone here, many people have sedentary roles such as desk or driving jobs, but it doesn’t mean it is ideal in terms of health. To try to balance out the fact that you are seated for most of the day, get enough exercise outside of your working hours. Take your dog on long walks, cycle to see friends or join the gym. You will feel more energized and can help counter things like obesity and all of its complications, weak muscles and more.
4. Socialize
When we think about health, it is not just physical health we need to take into consideration. Mental health is a huge part of it too, and there are some particular risks to your mental health if you work for yourself and work from home.
First of all, without a stable income you can suffer with stress and anxiety around money. Secondly, it is a lot of responsibility without always much help for struggling entrepreneurs. Perhaps one of the biggest issues is that you don’t have a workplace to speak of, there is no colleagues to chat to or community spirit.
Most of your days will be spent by yourself, and if you live alone too it can be particularly isolating. Make an effort to socialize and see your loved ones when you can. You could always join new classes and hobbies as a way to meet people if you feel you need to expand your circle. No matter what, get out of house and be around other people!
