Self-Care For Freelancers: 7 Health and Wellness Tips
Today I’m sharing a special guest post from Veronica Baas on self-care for freelancers. As a freelance writer myself, I know how hard it is to keep a healthy work/life balance when sometimes the lines are blurry. These tips are so important to keep yourself not only working your best, but also feeling your best.
Freelancing might not be for everyone but, for some, being your own boss and working on a schedule you choose is well worth any challenges that arise. As a full-time freelancer, it’s easy to commit to too many projects and
The trick to preventing burnout is remembering to instill self-care habits. The following self-care for freelancers tips will ensure your body stays in tip-top shape for high performance whether you’re a writer, programmer, or even a blogger.
Get the Right Gear
Sure, it’s nice to have the latest Macbook or the best graphics display, but it’s more important to invest in a keyboard, mouse, and chair that will support your arm and wrist joint health for years to come. An ergonomic mouse and keyboard prevent early onset of carpal tunnel and arthritis. Ergonomic chairs are equally important to support good posture and overall back and spine health. These things are also less expensive than the latest-and-greatest Macbook or fancy speakers that don’t really impact your
Practice Good Posture
Unfortunately, even the best ergonomic chairs can’t do all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to posture. Practice by sitting up straight, distributing your body and weight evenly on both legs, and keeping your feet flat on the floor. Though it’s hard sometimes, try to avoid sitting in the same position for more than an hour. It’s also good to keep your chair or desk at a height where both arms sit with a 90-degree angle while you type or scroll.
Do Yoga and Meditate
Keeping your muscles loose and treating chronic tension usually requires more than just good posture and ergonomic gear. Especially for those of us writing several thousand words a day and spending as much time hunched over the computer as an office job employee. Finding time to practice is usually the hardest part, but once a routine has been established it can actually become kind of addicting!
Try these guided yoga exercises and meditations below that are all free on YouTube:
Eat Healthy Foods
Eating healthy means more than just sticking to a diet with the proper nutrient intake. Everyone’s body is different, so finding foods that make you feel great and keep your mind alert actually make a huge difference. Try writing down what you eat for a few months and track how certain meals or ingredients like gluten, dairy, soy, etc. make you feel.
This will help pinpoint any food types that may be preventing you from feeling your best. It’s also a great way to eliminate foods from your meal planning, one by one, to see long-term results of a gluten-free diet, soy-free diet, or any other diet you’d like to try.
Stick to a Skincare Routine
This self-care for freelancers tip might sound random, but freelancing full-time is stressful. One of the ways my body reacts to stress is by breaking out. Whether it’s actual pimples and zits or just blemishes and redness, the change is noticeable and honestly just leads to more stress.
When it comes to breakouts caused by stress, you should be exfoliating using a face wash made with sodium sulfacetamide. A basic sulfur wash with antioxidants like green tea or anti-inflammatory ingredients like aloe is perfect. Also, try to avoid touching your face when possible because when stressed, we tend to do this more.
Rearrange Your Space
From time to time, every office or desk area needs a revamp. It’s important to create a space you’ll want to spend a lot of time in so the hours of endless typing, coding, or designing are distraction-free. Sometimes simply adding a new candle and a few plants is enough to bring in new energy. Other times call for a total color scheme overhaul with new desk accessories and wall fixtures. One fun idea to try is hanging files on the wall rather than wasting desk space.
The best addition I’ve made to my office so far is an essential oil diffuser. I can mix different scents to create calming, invigorating, and anti-anxiety blends. Another fun thing to add is a mini-fridge. We all know how the munchies hit during a writing sprint. Why not have snacks at the ready so you don’t waste time in the kitchen?
Use New Tools
Spark creativity and keep your motivation flowing with a new photo, word count, font, theme, mailing outreach, and other free writing or blogging resources. This will help you pitch your skills more efficiently and keep fresh content on your blog.
Social media sharing tools like Tailwind make it easy to share posts you write without getting sucked into Facebook for too long. Finally, tools like Grammarly edit your work as you write and pick up silly mistakes or make suggestions for bigger spelling and grammar errors along the way.
As a freelancer expected to work on unique projects every day, you can wind up feeling pretty stressed. Investing time in self-care is crucial during these periods to stay motivated, creative, and successful throughout these rigorous work timelines.
Veronica Baas is a recent Colorado State University graduate who has recently moved to Phoenix for her first after-college job offer doing basic coding and content creation. She has spent her life traveling as a pilot’s daughter and lived in the U.K. as part of a study abroad program.
Veronica loves the Oxford comma, men in khaki pants, and a full gas tank. She dislikes dog hair on black dresses, her addiction to technology, and most mornings. Follow her other writing and photography endeavors on her website.
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