This year has definitely been hard on everyone. If you’re like many people, you want to make sure that you have plenty of financial cushioning to deal with the uncertainties of the future. To that end, a day job might not be enough. You might also be running a side hustle from home. Whether it’s blogging, selling things online, or providing services to others, it can involve a lot more time spent in front of a computer than might necessarily be healthy. For that reason, we’re taking a closer look at some of the ways you need to ensure you’re taking care of yourself.

Don’t underestimate a good chair

If there’s one word you need to learn above all else when learning from home, it’s ergonomics. Effectively, these are the best practices to ensure you keep good posture and avoid doing any damage to your back or joints. For instance, your table should be at a height that you’re not reaching up to type, just as you shouldn’t be tilting your head up to look at your monitor. Most important of all is having an ergonomic chair that supports your lower back and head while letting you adjust your height. They might be a little expensive, but they can be found all across the net, so you should be able to find a good deal.

But do get out of that chair

One of the biggest risks affecting people who spend a lot of their day working at their computer is that of a sedentary lifestyle. It should go without saying that scheduling workouts is essential but, aside from that, you should endeavor to give yourself regular breaks from your chair, as well. Standing up and stretching can help you avoid all manner of musculoskeletal injuries. You may even want to consider using a standing desk, as it can help you entirely avoid some of the health risks associated with spending too much time sitting in one place.

Watch your eyes

The blue light that comes from your monitor might not be the most dangerous thing in the world, but it’s not risk-free. It can cause a lot of discomfort and sting to your eyes. One way to beat it is to make sure you’re in a well-lit room with a light that contrasts the light of the screen. There are also blue light screens with varying levels of effectiveness. If you have any form of shortsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmia, or think you might have, then it’s crucial you protect your eyes when spending so much time using the computer and the best way to do it is to ensure you have your glasses. Having to strain your eyes can, as you might expect, result in eyestrain happening much more often to you, which can really get in the way of your ability to work productively.

Maintain your work-life balance

One of the issues that affect many people working from home isn’t physical at all, but rather a mental and emotional concern. The loss of work-life balance, often in the form of your work taking over more aspects of your daily life, can be a serious stress concern. Aside from making sure that you’re not overworking, it’s best to try and keep your work schedule concrete, allowing you specific times at home where you know you don’t have to worry about work. Turn off your work phone, sign out of your work email account, and accept it as your time off. Similarly, you should have a separate work environment free from distraction, such as a home office, so the inverse imbalance doesn’t happen, as well.

Don’t isolate too hard

Another of the big struggles that people working from home tend to face is that they don’t get the same kind of face-to-face human contact that a lot of people working in the office do. If you have a day job in a more traditional working environment alongside your at-home side hustle, then this might not be as much of a concern for you. However, for other people, the lack of social contact can make the job a little isolating. Human interaction does matter to the mental health of the vast majority of people, so finding opportunities to inject a little more of it into your working life can be a good idea.

Just because you’re hustling doesn’t mean you should be neglecting your health. Hopefully, the tips above can help you find a way to be both productive and a little more conscientious when it comes to your well-being.