Freelancing from home has many benefits, but you also need to consider the downside for your mental and physical health – no more incidental exercise from getting to and from work, no social contact with colleagues, no ergonomically-designed workstation, and permanent access to the snack-filled fridge in your kitchen.

When I first started freelancing, I gained weight and had shoulder problems. I realised I needed to take the same carefully planned approach to the changes in diet, exercise, ergonomics and social contact as I had to other aspects of the lifestyle and career changes arising from working from home.

Diet

I was well-behaved when I worked in an office, bringing in salad sandwiches and fruit and leaving loose change at home so I couldn’t be tempted by the constant stream of fundraising chocolate and coffee (and muffin) breaks.

Once I began working from home, the lure of the fridge proved too strong; even when I wasn’t sneaking ‘just one more’ biscuit, I was snacking all day instead of eating proper meals, or forgetting to eat and then bingeing. No wonder I piled on weight and became tired and unproductive!

I found the best way to improve my eating habits at home was to establish a routine as regular as my work routine; I set times to eat a proper breakfast and lunch, kept the fridge full of fruit and cold water instead of chocolate and soft drink, and only bought or made treats specifically when visitors were due. It may be hard to remove all temptations when you have children, but replacing such snacks with healthier alternatives is a great start.

Exercise

I’m no exercise junkie but I used my office routine as a way to be physically active, by cycling to work a few times a week or walking to public transport, always taking time for a half-hour walk at lunchtime, and taking advantage of subsidised membership to the office gym. Suddenly, with the five-metre walk to my office and my hectic deadlines, I dropped from a regular mix of low-impact and cardio exercise to exhaustion from a stroll down the road.

As with my diet, I found it necessary to specifically set time for exercise into my working routine, just like time for any other essential task like research or filing. I bought fitness DVDs and did one every working morning, using the time I once would have been commuting to an office. I re-instated my noon walk, now with the dog, and took up swimming. Most importantly, I planned outside activities with exercise in mind – for example, walking to the post office or cycling to the library not only provided me with much needed exercise and fresh air, but also gave me time to review and plan future articles. I was fitter, more relaxed, and more creative. Your daily routine, too, can yield opportunities for low-impact physical activity.

Social contact

I may have seen the daily gathering by the water cooler as a fun way to pass a break, but I soon missed that regular human contact when I had been staring at the blank wall of my home office for too long. While working from home is not a permanent round of socialising, some social contact each week is important for relieving stress, developing new ideas, networking and catching up with new developments in your field, and gaining feedback.

I found that deliberately taking time out from deadlines and the house to meet with friends or with other writers to discuss our latest works was vital in maintaining my sense of perspective, my productivity, and my well of ideas. Social contact can also be combined with physical exercise, such as joining friends in a regular walking club or chatting about first novels on the golf course or tennis court. Again, purposefully setting time aside to remind yourself of the outside world is more productive than working yourself too hard in solitary confinement and then bingeing on social engagements.

Ergonomics

The regular health and safety ergonomics inspections in my office, with their seemingly trivial adjustments to my chair and workstation set-up, were just a minor irritant to me. That was before my shoulder started aching every day, interfering with my concentration and productivity. I was slouching and leaning forward into the screen because my monitor was too far away and too low for me.

Even if your office does not supply regular ergonomic checks, it’s easy to learn how a workstation should be set up to avoid eyestrain and pains in the wrist, neck, shoulders or knees by consulting web resources. Pay attention to the design and position of your keyboard and mouse, the height and comfort of your chair and desk, the position and height of your monitor, and the lighting and air circulation of your home office. You may need to replace poorly-designed office furniture, but this is a worthwhile investment.

You should also take regular typing breaks, looking away from the screen – the recommendation is 2 minutes every 10 minutes and 10 minutes every hour. Alternate typing or reading on the computer with offline research or filing.

Just like other aspects of freelancing or telecommuting, the implications of a home-based office for your mental and physical health need to be planned for. You most likely already have a work routine that enables you to meet your deadlines – you could review it to ensure it meets your health goals as well. Include time for proper meals, exercise and social contact, combining them if possible, and don’t forget to evaluate your office set-up for its ergonomic features.