Self-care is important in any job. It helps to keep you mentally and physically well, ensuring you keep showing up for work. But when you work for yourself, self-care becomes even more critical – nobody is covering for you or paying sick days when you’re self-employed! Working for yourself can come with many challenges and stresses, and protecting your health will help give you the energy and focus you need to keep on things.

Want to know the secrets of self-care for the self-employed? Look at the following ideas to help you maintain your health when working for yourself.

Set some boundaries 

Working for yourself can feel all-consuming, especially if work is your passion. But when you’re self-employed, it’s important to set some boundaries that will help you create a healthy working life. Consider how many hours you want to work each week, when your working hours should be, and when you are willing to do any extra. Remind yourself of these boundaries to help you stick to them. If you worked for another business, you’d have contracted hours or set office hours to keep you in check, so it’s important to lay some ground rules for yourself that you can stick to.

Remember to communicate your working hours to your clients. This can help set expectations from the outset, helping you and your clients respect your work boundaries. 

Build a routine you can stick to 

Another big change for self-employed workers or freelancers is adjusting to a routine. Building a routine can help you stay productive so that you can focus on tasks and work through your to-do list. 

Working for yourself means you’re in charge of your day, but you’ll likely notice big improvements in your productivity if you can build a routine you can stick to. 

Make time for your health

Whether you work for yourself or someone else, your health should always come first. However, self-employed or freelance people can feel the pressure on their shoulders, working hard to make their business a success and neglecting other things in their lives, such as their health. Some of the things you can do to help make time for your health include:

• Start each morning with a healthy breakfast, setting you up for the day.
• If you work from home, take some time away from your desk each day – go for a walk and see some of the outside world!
• Find time for exercise. Whether you do something first thing in the morning, at lunchtime or after you finish work, daily exercise is essential to stay fit and healthy.
• Eat a balanced diet to ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs to stay well. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to help your body build a healthy immune system.
• Prioritize sleep and try to get your 8 hours each night.

Protect yourself, and your business

Getting sick takes on a whole new meaning when you work for yourself. With nobody to cover you, it can have a big impact on your workload and lead to additional stress. And while you may feel like you can’t take a sick day, you must do so to help you rest and recover.

Sick days

There are different ways you can manage sick days when you’re self-employed. One of the first things you should do when you start working for yourself is to build up a ‘sick day’ fund. This will help you cover any days off you need to take when you’re sick, helping you ease any concerns about your earnings.

Handling clients

Having a plan for managing clients will also help. You can contact them directly to explain and include any information on an automatic reply from your inbox. These things happen, and most clients understand if you need to take some days off to recover.

Insurance

Finally, you can protect yourself against long-term sickness with the right insurance. Income protection insurance can give you peace of mind that you’re covered if you’re unable to work for an extended period, and it is a lifeline for many freelancers. Meanwhile, enrolling in a Medicare scheme can help ensure your healthcare is covered, in addition to many other benefits. Having these things in place can ease some of the concerns you may have about working for yourself, giving you the protection you need, when you need it.

Find ways to boost your energy levels

Do you find it difficult to stay energized throughout the day? When you work for yourself, staying focused and alert can be even more difficult, with nobody else around you to keep you going. The good news is that there are ways you can improve your energy levels, giving you the boost you need to make it through the day.

If you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock or you’re not getting anything done, take a break. It’s better to go for a walk or do something else to help you give yourself a bit of a rest so you can come back to the task feeling refreshed and ready to tackle things from another angle.

Switch off during your free time

Another pain point for the self-employed is switching off – especially if you usually work from home. But learning how to switch off is important, as well as helping you (and others) respect the boundaries you’ve set for yourself. 

Try to avoid the temptation to open your laptop, work emails, or settle down to do more work while at home. Protecting your free time will help you establish a healthy work/life balance and ensure you maintain the freedom and independence that made working for yourself attractive in the first place.

Take time off

Working for yourself means being in charge of your own schedule, including time off. Taking time off is important – it helps you reap the rewards of the life you’re building for yourself and gives you a well-earned rest from work. Whether it’s a day or two to catch up with friends or a longer vacation for yourself, be sure to plan your time off and arrange your schedule accordingly to help you enjoy it worry-free.

Switch up your working environment

Working from home is a convenient and affordable option for many freelancers. But it can get lonely spending all that time by yourself! Where possible, try and switch up your work environment. Working from a coffee shop or using a coworking space can help you get out of the house and connect with others during your working day – helping you feel a little less lonely.