Working from home can be an incredibly rewarding experience. You get to set your own hours, determine your own workload, be more present for your family, and even work in your pajamas if you so choose. But while the freedom of freelancing is great, it’s important to remember that staying healthy and productive is key. In this post, I’ll share the best healthy habits for working from home, why healthy habits are important, and how you can create a simple healthy habits routine (even as a busy working mom).
HEALTHY HABITS FOR FREELANCERS
When I first began freelancing, I struggled with a time of scarcity mindset and felt that I needed to hustle every waking minute to create the income I wanted. This mental load not only stressed me out, but this thinking pulled me away from my family, which was the complete opposite reason I freelanced. After a couple of years of the hustle/burnout cycle, I realized how my lack of healthy habits was hurting me physically and mentally and not helping me make more money.
Working for myself has taught me the importance of healthy habits, how to prioritize self-care and avoid burnout, and how to improve my productivity by prioritizing my health. Here are my seven healthy habits to help you make the most of your freelance life at home.
Wake Up Early And Get Outside
One of the biggest advantages of working from home is that you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn like many office-goers do. But it helps to wake up an hour before your children, so you can start your morning the way you want to. Whether that means exercising first thing in the morning, reading your bible or a devotional, or enjoying a cup of coffee while sitting outside (if the weather permits), doing something for yourself helps to set the tone and improve your mood for the day. Set a reasonable wake time and use those early morning hours to work out or spend some time outside. The fresh air and exercise will give you energy for the rest of the day and help clear your head for productive work.
Take Breaks and Move Your Body
It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re focusing on a task, so take breaks throughout the day. Even just five minutes away from your desk can help restore focus and give you an energy boost. Studies have shown that we can stay focused on a task for about an hour and a half before our mind wanders to a different or new task. I’ve used that to help schedule breaks after 90 minutes of uninterrupted work. During these breaks, consider moving around–take a walk outside or do some stretches or yoga moves inside–whatever works best for you!
Eat Healthy Foods and Stay Hydrated Are Two Healthy Habits for Working From Home
As I am writing this, I am snacking on Girl Scout Cookies. This little treat isn’t an everyday thing, but I can’t resist Girl Scout cookies. When you don’t have colleagues around reminding you to eat lunch, it can be tempting to munch on unhealthy snacks all day long and skip meals entirely (I totally understand this, but it’s not recommended!). Instead, stock up on healthy foods that will give you energy and keep cravings at bay throughout the day–think apples, nuts, cheese sticks, smoothies, protein shakes, etc. And don’t forget about staying hydrated too–water helps reduce headaches caused by dehydration!
Make A Schedule and Stick To It
Making a schedule each week is key to achieving productivity when working from home. Use a planner and block off specific times in which you want to complete certain tasks so that there is a structure in place for each day. This will also allow you to plan for upcoming projects or deadlines so that nothing gets left behind or forgotten about. Plus, it makes it easier when taking breaks–if it’s not scheduled, then it won’t get done!
Mom Tip: Allow white space in your planner for the unexpected. As moms, we never know when our little ones will get sick or may need a little extra attention from us that day, so by not scheduling every minute, you’ll have the flexibility to shift your priorities around.
Disconnect From Work At The End Of The Day
It may seem counterintuitive when trying to stay productive, but disconnecting from work at the end of each day is essential if you want to maintain balance in both your professional and personal life as a freelancer. Make sure not to check emails after dinner time (or whatever time works best for YOU) as this could lead to burnout down the line due to overworking yourself (been there!). Instead, focus on winding down with activities such as reading a book or meditating before bedtime in order to ensure better quality sleep during nighttime hours!
While working from home has its perks, it also requires self-discipline in order to stay healthy and productive throughout each workday. Try incorporating some (or all!) of these seven healthy habits into your daily routine as a freelancer — trust me — they make all the difference! After all, what good are those pajama days if we spend them feeling sluggish?
THE BENEFITS OF HEALTHY HABITS FOR WORKING FROM HOME
Working from home can be a great way to manage your own schedule and make money while still spending time with your family. However, it is important to remember that working from home also requires you to stay healthy and practice good habits. But why are healthy habits for freelancers important?
Why Healthy Habits Are Important
Healthy Habits for Productivity
When you are working from home, it’s easy to let your health take a backseat in favor of getting everything done on time. However, this is not the best approach, since healthy habits are essential for productivity. Eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep will improve your focus, energy levels, and overall well-being so that you can work more efficiently.
Maintaining Healthy Habits Boosts Your Mood
Another benefit of maintaining healthy habits while working from home is that it can help boost your mood. Eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep all to contribute to improving your mood by releasing endorphins into your brain that promote feelings of happiness and pleasure. Taking regular breaks throughout the day gives you time to relax and unwind, which can also help reduce stress levels and make you more productive when you get back to work.
Good Habits Help You Manage Stress Levels
Finally, practicing good habits while working from home is important because it can help you manage stress levels better. Working from home can be stressful as there are always deadlines to meet and tasks that need to be completed. Add in a family to raise, a house to clean, and schedules to manage. It can be overwhelming. Having a solid routine that includes eating well-balanced meals, staying hydrated, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and taking regular breaks will help keep stress levels in check so that you don’t burn out or become overwhelmed by everything on your plate.
Practicing healthy habits while working from home is essential for staying productive and managing stress levels better. Eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and taking regular breaks throughout the day will all help improve your focus and boost your mood so that you can work more efficiently while keeping stress at bay. So if you want to succeed as a freelancing mom, then prioritize healthy habits!
HOW TO CREATE A HEALTHY HABITS ROUTINE AS A BUSY FREELANCING MOM
Being a freelancing mom can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also incredibly challenging. With so much on your plate and time being at a premium, it’s hard to make time for yourself and establish healthy habits. But as you’ve read, it’s essential that you do! Taking care of yourself is the best way to ensure that you can take care of your family. Here are some tips for creating effective healthy habits routine as a freelancing mom.
Set Achievable Goals
When creating your healthy habits routine, it’s important to set goals that are achievable. Don’t aim too high or set unrealistic expectations—it will only lead to disappointment if you don’t reach them. Instead, focus on small wins and celebrate even the smallest victories. This will help keep you motivated and give you the boost of confidence that comes with achieving goals.
Make A Plan
Planning is key when trying to establish healthy habits as a busy mom. Take some time each week to plan your meals, exercise schedule, errands, etc., so you know what needs to get done in advance and can plan accordingly. This will help ensure that everything gets done and save you from feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks at hand. It also allows more flexibility should something unexpected come up, since your schedule won’t be taken up with trivial tasks or worrying about what needs to get done next.
Prioritize Self-Care
As moms, we often put ourselves last—but that shouldn’t be the case! Taking care of yourself is essential for establishing healthy habits. Make sure you’re taking time for yourself every day—even just 10 minutes here and there—to relax and recharge so that you have the energy and motivation to take on all of your other responsibilities with ease. Whether it’s taking a long bath after the kids go to bed or getting up early for yoga before work (or both!), make sure self-care is a priority in your life!
Creating a healthy habits routine as a busy mom isn’t easy—but it’s totally doable! Start by setting achievable goals, planning, and prioritizing self-care so that you can start living healthier and happier today! With dedication, hard work, and consistency, you’ll soon find yourself well on your way toward creating sustainable healthy habits as a busy mom!
So there you go, Mamas. Some of the best healthy habits to help support your body and mind while working from home (or really anytime!). I hope these tips serve as a reminder that YOU ARE NOT ALONE in this journey and that we are all trying to do our very best. We got this! Tag me on Instagram @The.Mompreneur.Project if you use any of these tips or let me know what other tips work for you. And be sure to check out my shop for even more self-care resources like my Self Care Planner specifically designed for busy freelancers!