5 Self Care tricks for remote workers

Due to the global pandemic, The Great Resignation, and a general reshuffling of individual priorities, an
increasing number of people are working from home these days. Zippia.com predicts that 36.2 million
American Employees will be working remotely by 2025. While there can be many advantages to working from home, there are also a new set of skills that you must learn to take care of yourself as a remote employee. The freedom to do laundry, or catch up on the latest show in the middle of the day can be exciting, but what is it doing to your productivity at work? Remote workers need to consider their physical and mental needs that are going to require a new method of maintaining to keep a sense of accomplishment and overall well-being. Implementing just a few practices focused on self-care in your daily routine will allow you to enjoy your personal and work life at home! Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Keep a structured schedule.
   • Of course, one of the big selling points of working from home is flexibility in schedule. However, you will quickly find that keeping to somewhat of a schedule makes it easier to strike a balance between work and home time. Try this. Wake up in the morning at the same time each day. Try to maintain a schedule similar to that you practiced in the office. Keeping a morning routine that has you dressed, energized and ready to work when your remote workday starts will set you up for success your entire day.
2. Get outside early.
   • Many remote workers will tell you that it is very easy for the whole day to go by without them leaving their home office. How terrible, right?! Combat this by starting each day off with a few minutes outside. Vitamin D is one of the best things that you can do for yourself, and with no more commute to get you out into the sun’s beautiful rays, you must be intentional about your exposure. According to www.lifehack.org,just a few minutes in the sun can lower blood pressure, improve brain function, and enhance the immune system. So do your body good and have your coffee al ’fresco to start your day offright.
3. Take breaks.
   • It is even easier to get lost in your work when you are working from home with fewerdistractions. Hours and hours can go by without you realizing it. You must get into the discipline of taking breaks both for your mental and physical health. Set a timer so that you give yourself a 10-minute break each hour. You can do things like setting doctors’ appointments, emptying the dishwasher, going on a walk or quick bike ride, quick 10-minute yoga or stretch. Once you return to work, your brain is recharged and ready to focus again for another 50 minutes. If you plan just 10 minutes each hour during your day you will be amazed at all the things that can get accomplished in your home and your work life.
4. NO Snacking
   • The quickest way to take what would have been a great and productive day and make it feel like a complete failure is to realize that you have snaked all day and eaten 1000+ unnecessary calories. Two ways to avoid this temptation are choose a location for your office away from your kitchen. An upstairs office or a room with a door that closes helps keep those yummy temptations out of site. If you must work in your kitchen or dining area, make sure that all the cabinets and pantry areas are tidied up and closed so that you don’t see in them. Another trick is to refrain from allowing yourself to eat where you work. If you set a hard a fast rule for yourself at the beginning, you are less likely to snack during the day. You can plan a delicious snack for one of your 10-minute breaks.
5. Find friends.
   • The transition to work from home can take some adjustment socially. You may have been used to seeing friends or coworkers every day and chatting about your lives and current topics. Replacing that social interaction can take a little planning. Many companies have social practices built into their workdays for remote workers. If your company does not; no worries, there are plenty of ways to build amazing social outlets. Join a business group. Many towns have small business networking groups that meet once or twice a month that discuss different business topics ranging from productivity to time management. Collaborating with like minded people not only satisfies a social need, but you might also get tips to help you in your business. Try a co-working station. You will find co-working opportunities popping up everywhere these days as the need for quiet space rises. These areas mimic the environment of an office, but each person is there to do their individual work. Even though you are still working, a change of environment and some folks to chat with can be a nice change of pace every now and then. Grab an accountability partner. This can be a great way to have some daily interaction with a friend or colleague and hold yourself accountable for your work all at the same time. One version of an accountability partnership could be finding someone to check in with in the morning and evening. Take 5-7 minutes to discuss what you want to accomplish that day and then hook back up at the end of the day to update on what you have accomplished. Maybe daily feels too overwhelming, try a weekly accountability chat. No matter the frequency, it feels amazing to know that someone else is cheering you on in your goals.

These are just a few ways to implement regular self-care into your remote working schedule. Working
from home can be a blessing to us and our families for so many reasons, but only if we are healthy.
Please prioritize finding ways to take care of yourself and always out your mask on first ladies!