How to leverage working from home for self-care

Do you normally commute to work, or are you someone who works from home?  Even if you do go to the office, you may temporarily need to work remotely (such as for social distancing needs). Or else, you may decide to become self-employed later on in the future. In this blog post, I’ll give tips on leveraging working from home for your self-care benefits. 

I have a degree in business administration.  After having corporate working and entrepreneurship experiences, I’m now working from home for over 6 years already (at the time of writing this blog post).

Now, let’s dive into it… 

Here are 11 tips on harnessing your precious self-care routine while working from home:

1. Wake up earlier than others

Start the day by getting up earlier than others at home.  Use this sacred time for yourself.  You can feel the calmness around, not the hustle and bustle of a hectic life! 

I’m not a natural morning person, but I make efforts to improve.  Working from home requires discipline to remain productive.  At the same time, you can find extra time for self-care, if you choose to (and should).

2. Have a morning routine

If you’re new to working from home, test out different things to do.  Know your goals and priorities. Use your mornings to build the best habits that are conducive to your health and overall wellness.

3. Craft a self-care routine 

Think of your wellness needs and have an appropriate daily self-care routine. Mine currently involves meditation, yoga breathing exercises, jogging, eating healthy, drinking lots of water, and skincare.  I also keep a journal.

4. Enjoy a good breakfast 

You wake up early and don’t have to commute… Treat yourself to a well-prepared, healthy, and nutritious breakfast.  You should always have a proper breakfast.  However, when rushing off to the office, it may be tempting to neglect this golden ritual.

5. Manage your agenda

Flexible working enables you to set and manage your agenda.  Even if you’re working from home temporarily, you’ll still have some freedom over your work schedule.  This is great, as you can and should make time for yourself.  When you feel serene, you’re likely to get more work done as well.

6. Save time on commuting 

Save precious time and make better use of it.  You may choose to learn a new skill, read a book, join an online yoga session… Anything that adds value to your self-care.

7. Dedicated space for home office

Set boundaries, so that others at home know when you’re available.  This ensures that you can focus on work and increases productivity levels.  Working from home should be made as pleasant as possible, not chaos.

There’s a helpful blog article on the Quill website which shows how you can design your home office to help succeed. To find out more, please take a look at ‘tips for setting up a productive remote home office‘.

8. Duly take regular breaks  

Avoid burnout.  Know when to ‘clock-out’ of work, even though at home.  Have coffee or tea breaks, proper lunch, and dinner.  Get up from your desk to stretch your legs, have some water, walk around a little.    

9. Enjoy special family time 

Cook dinner together with family members, rediscover forgotten grandmother’s recipes, anything that adds value to togetherness (in case of social distancing, do take the necessary measures).  Teach your kids new skills. If you’re single or live alone, phone a close friend or do things that you genuinely enjoy, but have neglected.

10. Don’t neglect your hobbies 

Hobbies are interesting activities that help you grow, have fun, stay entertained, and more. They also harness self-care.  While working from home, do dedicate time to your favourite hobby (or hobbies, whichever applies to you).

11. Cultivate great daily habits

Even though working on devices is necessary, make time for a digital detox.  Turn off your phone or have no screen time before bedtime.  Have proper and enough sleep.  Take the right daily habits that are conducive to relaxation. 

Conclusion

Working from home is convenient in diverse ways.  Make the most of it to duly improve your self-care habits.  Do you have any tips of your own?  Please leave a comment.  If you know someone who needs better self-care while working from home, do share my blog post. Thank you!!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2020, and has been updated for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and with a suggested article for further reading.

Related blog posts:

How to work from home joyfully 

How to enjoy time at home wholeheartedly

Photo/Image courtesy: Canva

Resources:

Telecommuting

Self-care