Freelancer Workplace Wellness At Home

They say freelancers have it easy.

There is no daily commute to endure. No dealing with annoying co-workers or bosses. We don’t feel our souls slowly dying within the confines of a workplace seemingly designed to kill us as slowly and as excruciatingly as possible.

Working from home seems like the absolute ideal work scenario.

And it should be.

But it isn’t always.

There has been a lot of talk lately about promoting workplace wellness. Many companies are catching on to the fact that healthy, happy employees are more productive and stay longer. It’s not really a new concept, but it is one that was lost for a while and has now been enjoying a slow but steady renaissance.

What doesn’t get talked about as much is workplace wellness for freelancers who have set up shop in their own homes. While there are huge benefits to working from home, there are still factors involving the home environment that can negatively impact your work.

Not all of these may apply to you equally, but they should, nonetheless, be things to consider when maximizing your work-from-home setup.

The clutter

How cluttered is your home? Are you a bit of a packrat? Do you live in a small space but have a lot of stuff? I’ll bet that if you have children — particularly young children — that you’re constantly dealing with piles of laundry, toys, books, and half-eaten food taking up every available surface.

The fact is that the more cluttered your home, the more cluttered your mind is going to feel. You’ll feel disorganized and probably a bit anxious.

Take some time to do a purge — or, at the very least — clear as much of your immediate work area of unnecessary clutter as possible. We’re not talking having a spotless desk. That can be just as stressful as having too much clutter.

Give yourself room to breathe. Give yourself a place to put your coffee that’s not on top of a pile of books or socks. Seek out a little bit of order to save yourself a lot of aggravation.

Move, move, move

Calling back to those workspaces that are making greater investments in workplace wellness, many of those places are adding gym equipment or partnering with nearby fitness facilities. You don’t need to install a gym in your home, or even any exercise equipment, but do try to make a point of getting up every hour or so to stretch and move around.

Every couple of hours do a little more than just stretch. Do you have a dog? I bet that dog would love a walk around the block. No dog? Well, you might enjoy a walk around the block as well. Is weather not being cooperative? Maybe try ten minutes of light yoga or some simple exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups (if you have a secure bar), or windmills.

You don’t even need to be doing formal exercise. I’m sure there are a few chores that need doing. I just took a break myself, did some dishes, and gave the bathroom a quick cleaning.

Exercise and chores don’t necessarily sound pleasant, but you’d be amazed how getting the blood pumping — even just a little — will make you feel refreshed and alert when you go back to your desk.

And you’ll be overall healthier for it.

Keeping up on the general maintenance

Veteran freelancers all learn this eventually, but it’s a common enough pitfall for newer freelancers that I feel it should be mentioned.

Take care of your health and hygiene.

Sure, you’re not planning to leave the house today. Who are you trying to impress? Skipping the shower isn’t the end of the world, is it?

Well, maybe not. But it can snowball on you to the point where taking a shower is an unusual part of your day. You may not notice it right away, but others will. Take a shower. Shave, if you’re usually clean-shaven, or do some similar sprucing up. I have a shaved head and a full beard. I don’t shave my head every day, but if I don’t do it every three days or so I start to feel grungy. My beard is generally low-maintenance, but about once a week I take out a little care kit and make sure it’s even and not too wild.

You know what?

I always feel better about myself after I’ve done these small acts of maintenance, and that carries over into my work.

Dress like you have a “real job”

Yes, freelancing is a real job. That’s not what I meant.

What I meant is that putting on some clean clothes, wearing shoes, and dressing like a civilized person will go a long way toward making you feel more professional and, therefore, more productive at work.

I’m not suggesting you need to put on a suit or tie. I’m not saying you need heels or a business dress. I’m merely suggesting that if you ditch the robe and pajamas and, instead, dress as if you’re going to be leaving the house that day and interacting with other people, you’ll feel a lot better about how you approach your work at home.

Music to work by

There are a lot of temptations for distraction when we work from home. The television is a big one and whether we have on the news or the latest episode of HBO’s The Watchmen — even if we’re not actively watching — that can have a deleterious effect on your productivity.

That said, many people — myself included — have trouble working in complete silence.

What to do?

It’s the 21st century. We have options.

There are at least a dozen music streaming options these days that can be set up in a non-obtrusive manner. Personally, I play a lot of Amazon Music through a Bluetooth speaker. You also have iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, and others. You can select specific albums or set up themed playlists.

Experiment with what works best for you. I’m an old punk and indie rock fan, but for working I tend to listen to jazz or old R&B. I tried classical music but found it too distracting. Classical might work better for you, however.

Keep the volume low. We’re after ambiance, not necessarily entertainment.

Eating right, snacking better

There’s a saying popular with computer and data scientists that goes ”Garbage in, garbage out.”

This adage can apply to your freelance life. What you put into your mouth may affect what comes out in your work.

People’s needs vary, so I’m not going to get down to absolutes of you must eat this or you must not eat that. What I’m stressing more is the importance of being aware of your diet and how it affects you.

Sugary foods or snacks might give you a boost of energy, but they’re often followed by a bit of a crash. Some people — particularly those prone to Type 2 diabetes — find that consuming potato chips, pasta, or other high carb foods can make them tired soon after.

Cheese, pepperoni slices, nuts, bananas, berries, carrots or celery are all good options. A trail mix is also a fairly healthy snack.

Coffee and freelancing seem to go hand in hand for many people, but be wary of drinking too much. If the caffeine doesn’t get you, the effect of too much in your stomach might. Switch up with filtered water instead.

It’s very easy to descend into the eating habits of a campground raccoon when we’re working at home alone. Avoid the temptation of easy junk food options and go for the healthy option. It will help your work life and home life.

Be a good boss

Freelancers have the toughest bosses in the world… themselves.

Go easy on yourself. If you’re finding yourself getting too stressed, remind yourself that it’s okay to step away for a little bit. You’re not doing anyone any favors by burning out.

Take a vacation. Spend time with family and friends.

While most of us work for a living, we don’t live to work.

Take good care of yourself.

Cheers!