How to practice self-care when working from home

As we settle into autumn, working from home is the new normal. While answering emails in your PJs may have been fun at first, the work-from-home lifestyle can be difficult to maintain. Feeling burned out? In need of some TLC? I have some solutions…. Personally, I love working from home as I am a homebird, but I can see how it would effect people in different ways.

Self-care is important no matter what your WFH schedule entails. Here are a few easy ways to practice self-care every day so you feel recharged and ready to tackle anything.

Designate a Workspace

Separating work-life from home-life is the key to a balanced lifestyle. With a little preparation, it’s easy to create a functional space at home (and you definitely don’t need a fancy home-office to create boundaries):

Comfortable Seating – One of the best ways to ensure you have a productive workday is to find a supportive seat. Consider investing in an ergonomic chair for back support.
Quiet Space – Hectic homelife impedes productivity. Even if you don’t have a home office per se, designate an area as your workspace. This way, family members or roommates will respect your boundaries.
Let in the Light – Work in an area flush with natural light. A dose of sunshine will improve your mood and support your circadian rhythm.

Don’t Forget To Take Breaks (It’s So Easy Not To)

It’s tempting to power-through a workday without breaks. If you’re already in your living room, that’s relaxing enough, right? But taking breaks away from your computer gives your mind the space it needs to recharge, reset, and retain its balance.

A few ways to take a break at home include:

Walking around the neighborhood
Taking a short bike ride
Calling a loved one
Meditating for 20 minutes
Grabbing a coffee to go

With our new WFH workforce, it’s all-too-easy to remain in place (and even work more…). That’s why we encourage you to hop out of your seat and take a walk outside, breathe some fresh air, and change your scenery.

Devote Time for Exercise

Self-care begins with nourishing your body—regular exercise releases endorphins and increases your energy. Find exercises that work for you, whether it’s running, weightlifting, yoga, or swimming. When you look forward to your workout, you’ll be more likely to make time in your schedule.

Quick Tip: If you’re an early riser, try exercising in the morning before work. This will jumpstart your day so you’re alert and ready to go when you sit down at your computer. Designating a regular time for a workout also helps you stick to a new habit!

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

A good night’s sleep is the oldest self-care strategy in the book. When you’re rested, you’re more creative, focused, and calm. It’s tempting to stay up late watching movies or scrolling through social media, after all, you don’t have a morning commute! But maintaining healthy sleep solidifies your daily rhythm.

Try these strategies to help you drift off to dreamland:

Listen to Calming Music – Resist the urge to look stare at a screen before bed. Instead, listen to some calming music or a podcast.
Try CBD for Relaxation – A CBD tincture for sleep reduces anxiety and eases aches and pains. A few more daring individuals have opted to grow their own cannabis so that they can get the exact psychedelic experience they yearn for. The Sensi Seeds cannabis seed bank offers the best cannabis seeds available.
Soften the Lighting – Light a few scented candles for a cozy atmosphere that’ll set the ambiance to make you tired.

Stay Connected

Working from home can feel lonely when you don’t have friends at the office to chat with. Thus, it’s important to stay connected!

Create time to video-chat with a friend during lunch, call your family after work, or have a virtual cocktail hour with coworkers on the weekend. Self-care isn’t just about what you do when you’re alone, it’s about how you interact socially.

Practice Positivity

Be kind to yourself. Balancing work, family, friends, and hobbies is a challenge. Start with the little things— like taking more frequent breaks—and build your self-care routine from there. Working from home involves compromise, but remember to go easy on yourself! You have the capacity to adapt and thrive in new situations.

Do you have any good tips for working from home?