5 Best Health Tips For Freelancers And Remote Workers

Freelancing can take a toll on your health if not properly managed. It can affect not only your body but also your mind too. You’ll spend most of your days sitting down and staring at your computer screen as a freelancer. If you’re not careful, you’ll adopt a sedentary lifestyle unconsciously.

Your body and mind should be healthy to stay focused and keep the creative juices flowing.

The following are five essential health tips for freelancers.

1. Avoid Eye Strain

Continuous staring at the computer screen can cause eye strain and fatigue. If your job always requires you to work on the computer, you should employ the 20-20-20 rules to save your eyes. Medical experts recommend taking a 20-second break to look at an object 20 feet away from your screen every 20 minutes.

2. Purchase Suitable Work-From-Home Gears

Besides getting a good laptop with a fast internet connection, you should also invest in a comfy desk and chair. Set up a space in your home, like an office, where you can work comfortably. A good chair and a home office desk are part of what you need as a freelancer to make all the difference.

Whenever you’re working at your desk, sit properly. Be conscious of your posture to avoid pain in your body parts. The right way is to sit straight and not lean toward the computer. Don’t cross your leg when sitting; ensure you bend your knees at right angles while your feet lie flat on the floor.

Getting the right gear helps improve your posture and maintain your spine health. It will help prevent musculoskeletal injuries from sitting for long hours. Also, working with a suitable chair and desk will help avoid additional expenses. For example, you won’t have to visit the hospital or see a physiotherapist due to workplace injuries. 

3. Restrict Work to Your Workspace

Restricting work only to your workplace is one of the hardest to do as a freelancer. You’d want to use every opportunity to complete an ongoing project. But that’s not a healthy habit. Instead, set up your desk and chair in a designated space and restrict your work to that space.

Even as a freelancer, there should be fixed working hours. Never take an unfinished task to bed or any other place outside your workspace. There should be time for everything. Manage your time well. It would be best if you weren’t working when you’re supposed to sleep. 

Freelancing doesn’t mean you should keep yourself under stress or the hectic activity of work.

4. Avoid Junk and Eat Healthily

Freelancing will make you employ a sedentary lifestyle if you allow it. It’ll make you rely on ordering food from restaurants and eating different junk food. But if you’re self-disciplined, you’ll stick to a healthy diet by eating homemade foods.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t eat from restaurants. There’s no big deal having a cheeseburger and some fries once in a while. Just don’t make it a habit. Instead, plan your diet and avoid unhealthy snacks. Instead of stocking your fridge with candies and chocolates, go for fruits and vegetables.

It’s also important to watch the time of taking your meal. Ensure to eat earlier before your working hours or before going to bed. Always prepare your food in advance; whenever you feel hungry, you won’t resort to fast or to eat an unhealthy diet.

5. Learn to Use the N-word When Necessary

As a freelancer, each job is essential. But it would be best if you still worked yourself or put up with complex or demanding clients.

You must decide where to draw the line and how much labor you will tolerate. Take it from me: It’s better to spend your money wisely and save it than to take on more projects than you can handle. The path to burnout is short.

If you don’t get along with a client, don’t be afraid to say ‘NO’ or end your relationship with them. Choosing only clients that suit you will allow you to achieve excellent results. You won’t be able to work with a problematic client successfully.

Here’s what you should do if you want to reject a client:

Be truthful. A fantastic way to demonstrate responsibility and your concern for quality is to admit that you have too much work on your plate and won’t have the time or energy to devote to it. An honest response will leave the door open, and the client will likely contact you again.

Suggest someone else. You may be confident that recommending a colleague will create a win-win situation. Your colleague and the client will both be appreciative, which is a terrific way to establish a long-lasting business connection.

Your health should be your priority regardless of what you do to make a living. Although working as a freelancer gives you some degree of freedom and is less stressful. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have your share of stress.

You need to adopt a lifestyle that will keep your physical and mental health sharp. It’ll help you navigate the competitive landscape of freelancing. And you don’t have to sacrifice your physical and mental health to make a living. 

This article’s five suggested essential health tips will help you achieve a healthy freelancing career.