Self-Care Tips for Working From Home

Counting your commute in steps instead of miles is a definite win, but working from home comes with its own set of challenges. Without a few self-care habits in your daily routine to tackle—or better yet, prevent—those challenges, all that time at home can start to affect your productivity, work quality, and health.

Practicing self-care doesn’t have to feel like adding another chore to your already busy day. In fact, it’s simpler than you might think—and the payoff is worth that extra bit of effort. Regular self-care can lower your stress and boost both your mental and physical well-being over time.

Here are some top self-care tips for working from home, along with extra advice from independent professionals—the original WFH experts.

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Challenges to self-care when working from home

Many of us know we could eat better, exercise more, or maybe even try meditating. But the gap between knowing and doing can feel massive. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Working from home comes with plenty of perks, but it also brings its own set of challenges, like:

• Getting enough exercise. Most people say they’d focus more on fitness and health if they could give up their daily commute, but reality says otherwise. According to an Owl Labs survey, in-office employees are more than twice as likely to exercise during the day compared to their remote counterparts.
• Feeling lonely and isolated. You may feel disconnected without the face-to-face interactions and casual chats you’d have in an office. That shared sense of camaraderie and teamwork is harder to come by remotely. If your teammates don’t have strong remote communication skills, you may start to feel like you’re out of sight and out of mind.
• Too many distractions. Home is full of distractions. Whether it’s a pile of dirty dishes calling your name, neighbors playing their music too loudly, or family members interrupting to share something “quick,” staying focused can feel like an uphill battle.
• Not enough breaks. Studies have long proven that taking short breaks during the day reduces stress, prevents burnout, and boosts productivity. But when you’re working from home, there’s no colleague to nudge you into a quick coffee chat or walk around the building. So, many remote workers end up glued to their screens all day.
• Maintaining work-life boundaries. One in five remote workers (22%) struggle to unplug from work. When your office is just a few steps—or a laptop—away, checking emails after hours or squeezing in a little extra work on the weekend is all too tempting. It’s so hard to disconnect that 72% of remote workers say they’re less likely to completely take time off work when sick.

Self-care essentials when working from home

Prioritizing self-care is key to balancing work and well-being. With these tips, you can enjoy the perks of having a career that enables you to work from home while dodging the downsides.

Incorporate regular exercise into your day

Movement is linked to many health benefits, from reduced pain to improved mental clarity and mood. Exercising during the day can also make you tired enough to help you sleep better at night. If you’re short on time, you could do things like stand up during phone calls, use an under-desk treadmill, or do a 10-minute yoga routine between meetings.

If you don’t like to exercise, look for ways to make it more enjoyable. Join a dance class, go walking with friends, or make it part of your daily routine, as AI engineer Ivan Židov does. He goes to the gym at 7 am before the start of his workday, which “aligns with the principle of tackling the most daunting task (‘eating the frog’) at the outset of my day. And establishing a fixed time for exercise has been crucial in transforming my workout from a mere task to a foundational element of my daily routine.”

Want help getting started? Consider hiring a freelance fitness trainer on Upwork. You’ll find experts who can customize a routine that you can stick to, design balanced meal plans that support your health goals, and exercise with you online.

Stay socially connected

Compared to their in-person colleagues, many remote workers stay home too often because there’s no reason to leave. But the lack of socialization can get lonely, which may be dangerous. In addition to harming your mental health, persistent loneliness can be as damaging to your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Although face-to-face activities are beneficial, you can still socialize without leaving your house. Chatbot developer Lena Shakurova builds in a little socialization throughout her workday without having it affect her productivity. Using a web app called Focusmate she says “helps me stay focused while I work and allows me to meet new people from all over the world. I love it.”

Family members can also be great sources of stress relief. If they’re in the house with you, consider walking away from your desk at lunchtime to eat with them.

Brief chats with family during the day can give your brain a break from work and may help release stress. If you don’t have anyone at home, you could text someone a funny video or pick up the phone to say hi. “It’s easy to just focus on client work, but your stress levels are on a fine balance and just a quick chat can help so much,” said SEO specialist Louis Jordan Smith.

Furry friends are great at combatting loneliness, depression, and anxiety too. Pets like dogs and cats crave attention, so they need regular walks and playtime, which ensures you take regular breaks too. These breaks can clear your mind, uplift your mood, increase your energy, and reduce your stress.

Read: How To Work From Home With a Dog

Manage distractions

Working from home comes with plenty of distractions. Kids wanting your attention, a pile of laundry screaming to be folded, and a neighbor’s dog that barks at everything…staying productive can feel like a real challenge.

Managing distractions while working from home requires a mix of planning, boundaries, and self-discipline. Stick to a routine that clearly signals the start and end of your work day, such as silencing notifications and using noise-canceling headphones. 

Prioritize work tasks and take intentional breaks to recharge without losing momentum. Some people take breaks when they feel like it, others prefer scheduling them. Mike Volkin, a fractional CMO, uses the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break) to ignore distractions. “It works really well and helps me get and stay in my flow state.”

Be sure to create a dedicated workspace to set a physical boundary between work and personal life. Even a small corner of a room can signal to your brain that you’re in work mode and help you stay focused. A few ways to ensure your workspace promotes focus:

• Choose the right spot. Pick a quiet, low-traffic area away from household noise and distractions. Natural light is ideal, but make sure it’s positioned to avoid glare on your screen.
• Define your workspace. Use furniture or room dividers to separate your workspace from living areas. Even a specific desk or table helps signal “this is for work only.”
• Invest in comfortable furniture. While you may work from the couch occasionally, most of your workday should be spent at your desk. So choose an ergonomic chair and desk to stay comfortable during long hours. Proper posture reduces fatigue and helps you stay focused. You can remain ergonomic even when on the go. Content writer Cassie Moorhead says, “I always travel with my laptop wrist pad and my blue-light-filtering glasses. Even if I'm working from a coffee shop in a new city, I'll put those in my tote bag so I know I'll be comfortable.”
• Minimize clutter. Keep your desk organized with only the essentials—like your computer, notepad, and pen. Storage solutions like shelves or bins keep things tidy and distractions at bay. Personalize mindfully by adding plants or artwork to make the space inviting and inspiring, but not so busy that it’s distracting.
• Control noise. Use noise-canceling headphones or a white noise machine to block interruptions. Rugs, curtains, or soft furnishings can also absorb sound and reduce echoes.

Plan for breaks

Sprinkling breaks through the day allows your brain to get a little rest, and your body to release some of the stress that builds up throughout the workday. You can use apps like Stretchly, Stand Up!, and Workrave to remind yourself to step away. But what you do afterwards makes a difference. 

Research shows there is a better way to take breaks. Scrolling social media could leave you feeling more drained, while outdoor exercise recharges you more effectively than indoor workouts. The bottom line: Step away from your desk—even if it’s just to fold laundry.

Helen Khailova-Horash, a software solutions manager, makes the most of her breaks by taking walks with her child, tackling quick house chores, or making lunch. She focuses on activities that involve movement because, as she explains, they’re “beneficial for overall health, as it gives your eyes a rest from screens and keeps your body moving to prevent neck and back pain.”

Think you’re too busy for breaks? Streamline routine tasks to make room for them. Apps like Superhuman and SaneBox can prioritize important emails, filter spam, and suggest responses. ChatGPT can help you quickly draft reports, emails, and articles.

Save more time by hiring a freelance AI specialist to create a custom GPT for tasks you handle often that eat up your day. Save even more time finding the right person with Uma™, Upwork’s Mindful AI. After you answer a few quick questions, Uma can draft a job post and serve up the ideal freelancers to interview.

Upwork helps you get more done with less work. Try it out now

Build healthy eating habits into your day

Your well-being is one of your biggest assets, but it’s easy to neglect when working from home, where food is always within reach.

Graphic designer Suzanne Ctvrtlik avoids temptation by practicing mindful eating. “I step away from my screens and computers during meals,” she says. “Instead of rushing through meals while working or multitasking, I take the time to actually sit down and eat without other distractions.”

With a bit of discipline and planning, you can build healthy eating habits into your workday. Here are some practical tips:

• Prep healthy meals and snacks ahead of time
• Avoid ultra-processed foods that cause energy spikes and crashes
• Keep healthy options like fruits, veggies, and nuts within reach, and clear your pantry of less nutritious temptations
• Stick to regular mealtimes to prevent grazing all day long
• Step away from your desk to eat, even if it’s just for 15 minute
• Focus on your food, chew slowly, and avoid multitasking—no scrolling on your phone!
• Try new healthy recipes—cooking can be a fun, stress-relieving break from work
• Pay attention to your hunger cues; if you’re eating out of boredom or stress, try alternatives like stretching, a quick walk, or deep breathing exercises

If you’re not sure where to start, get help from a freelance nutritionist. For an affordable rate, they can create balanced meal plans for you, teach you how to shop for healthier foods, and help you reach your health goals.

Set clear boundaries

Unity developer Angel Andres learned early on that “working from home is not the same as being at home. Having flexible working hours does not mean that you are available to anyone at any time.” And the first person who needs to learn that might be you.

Having clear boundaries protects your time so you can work effectively and fully enjoy your downtime. The key to making that happen is setting boundaries—and sticking to them. For instance, fractional CMO Mike Volkin sets his calendar to stop taking appointments at 3 p.m. “This way, I have a couple of hours to finish emails, tie up loose ends, and be ready for my family by 5 p.m.,” he explains.

Make sure the people you live with know when you’re off-limits, unless it’s an emergency. Simple visual cues like a closed door or wearing headphones can signal you’re in work mode. Sure, exceptions might pop up, but sticking to boundaries is like telling yourself, “My time and energy are valuable!” It also sets that expectation for others.

What your boundaries look like will depend on your work flexibility and how you define work-life balance. If you’re in a traditional 9-to-5 role, a boundary might be pausing Slack notifications after work hours or politely reminding colleagues of your schedule when replying to late-night emails the next day.

Tips for making self-care a regular habit

By blending structure, tools, and self-compassion, you can build a sustainable routine that boosts productivity and nurtures your well-being. Here are some tips to get started: 

• Set a daily routine. One of the biggest perks of working from home is the flexibility—but the secret to success is sticking to a consistent schedule. This could mean starting work at the same time every morning, taking a walk during lunch, and logging off by 5 p.m. every evening. Having a routine helps you stay focused, avoid distractions, and keep your work and personal life in harmony.
• Leverage technology. If you’re looking for ways to carve out more time for self-care or turn a goal into a lasting habit, there’s likely an app that can help. For instance, you could create videos in minutes with Fliki, efficiently research topics with Perplexity, build a daily meditation habit with Insight Timer, and drink more water with Waterllama. 
• Celebrate your progress. Recognizing your achievements keeps you motivated and makes the journey more enjoyable. Plus, it’s a great way to practice self-kindness. Did you hit your daily water goal for two weeks straight? Celebrate by dancing to your favorite song. Logged off work by 5 p.m. every day this month? Treat yourself to a pizza-and-movie night with a friend. The celebration doesn’t have to be huge—it just has to remind you of your progress.
• Stack your habits. Habit stacking, or "habit bundling," is a proven way to integrate new habits into your routine by attaching them to habits you already have. The idea is to start small and expand over time. For example, if you want to drink more water, drinking eight glasses a day may seem like too much at first. Instead, try stacking your habit: “Before I make my morning coffee, I’ll drink a glass of water.” Small steps build up into big results. Check out this video to learn more.

• Be realistic and fair. Creating self-care habits that are realistic and fair makes it easier to stick with them and gradually build momentum without feeling overwhelmed. Here are some ways to set achievable and meaningful self-care goals:
• ‍Use the SMART framework. Example: Instead of saying, “I want to exercise more,” try, “I’ll jog for 20 minutes, three times a week, for the next month.”‍
• Start small and build up. Example: Read for 10 minutes a day instead of jumping straight to an hour.‍
• Balance short- and long-term goals. Example: Meditate for 5 minutes daily this week (short-term) while working toward 20 minutes a day in six months (long-term).‍
• Be realistic about your lifestyle. Example: If your schedule is packed, aim for something like 20 minutes of self-care each evening instead of setting aside an entire afternoon.‍
• Stay flexible. Example: If you don’t have time for an hour of yoga, do a quick 15-minute routine instead.‍
• Align goals with your values. Example: If creativity matters to you, spend an hour per week painting or working on another artistic outlet.‍
• Track progress and celebrate. Example: You lost 10 pounds—celebrate your hard work by treating yourself to a movie night.

Get self-care support on Upwork

Many people assume eating healthier, sleeping longer, and exercising more is easier when working from home—and while that’s partly true, it also comes with its own set of challenges. The key is to be mindful of your habits and surroundings. By setting clear boundaries and building routines that prioritize your well-being, you can stay productive, healthy, and happy while fully embracing the WFH lifestyle.

Check out these articles for more self-care tips:

• Stay Fit While Freelancing: Health Tips for Remote Workers
• Work From Home Sustainability: Top 12 Eco-Friendly Tips
• How To Work From Home With a Baby: 17 Tips
• Upwork Freelancers Share 20+ Tips for Working From Home Effectively

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