Self-care tips for designers working from home
Working from home has characterised the working world as we know it over the past few years. Here are some of our top tips to maximise your output as a creative and to help make life a little easier whilst remaining at home.
Create a work-life balance
For everyone this will consist of different things, however whatever you choose to do, it’s important to get a break from the screen and desk. Whether it’s going to the gym, seeing friends, or going for a dog walk we should all aim to get a balance out of the things we do. Life being a creative or designer is incredibly taxing on our brains, so to maximise your creativity and work output, taking a well-deserved break will benefit you massively and the returns will be unmatched. You’ll be fresh and ready to smash your next project.
Keep up those grooming habits
Working from home is of course easier in a sense, less relaxed, and more informal than heading out to the studio. However, this doesn’t mean that all your good grooming habits should die out. Wake up like normal, stick to the routine and get dressed! Keeping up these superb habits will help and equip you for taking on the day of work at home, getting you in the right mindset. This also echoes the idea of creating an effective work-life balance, meaning you can get ready for work and wind down like normal, even if your place of work has changed.
Consideration to ergonomics
Your workspace is key when working from home, not only the kit you use but how it is set up. This will not just influence your output and creativity but your overall health mentally and physically. Moreover, as our industry becomes increasingly digital by the day, it’s important to pay attention to how you interact with your machine. Desk height, your chair and even the placement and angle of your screen will impact how you work. Now to some this may seem obvious, but it is very easily overlooked. Comfort is key in this instance, and by getting your set up correct will also help in other areas of life, for example exercise, posture, and general well-being.
Get that sweat on
Now, we’ve all been there when exercise seems like the worst thing in the world to do, straight after or even before work. However, it’s important to remind ourselves that being active improves our quality of life massively. Whenever you get the chance, hop out of the chair, take a breather, and simply move! In relation to exercise or training, this will also help us create that work-life balance we strive for, so getting that sweat on is a good thing. It’ll ensure we remain that spring chicken we all aspire to be instead of the sedentary sloth, helping our sleep, brain, and body functionality.
Create a routine
Working from home impacts us all in different ways, however as noted before, just because our place of work has changed, it shouldn’t mean that we let our refined routines slack. It's easily done, admittedly, however we should all try to crack on and be the successful designers we all know we can be. Treat this as an evolved routine, still implementing the things done previously, such as getting up on time, having breakfast, walking the dog or having that phone call with a friend on your lunch break. Possibly, working from home may even help you create a better, more proactive and productive routine than you had before. But, remember to get out when you can and more importantly, socialise!
Fuel yourself for the day
This fundamentally goes without saying, however, it’s easy to let our good eating and drinking habits slip when we’re constantly at home. Arguably it’s not almost the most stimulating place to be, with distractions and home comforts, especially when it comes to food. It’s easy to fall down the path of over-eating and even under-eating, but it is important to remember life is all about balance and this should be applied to how we fuel ourselves. Aim to get nutritious and tasty food at every meal as this will give your brain the energy to help you design, increasing your ability to focus and be creative. Drinking plenty of water too will combat dehydration too, keeping your muscles fresh and by flushing out toxins. Lastly – and most importantly – don’t forget to treat yourself too!
What do you think? We’d love to hear from you – whether it’s with your thoughts or any tips you have! Let us know!