How is your workday? Most Brazilians, regardless of their area of expertise, tend to have a fast-paced routine; need to deal with deadlines, customer service, concerns about goals and results…
Phew! And in the midst of this hustle, one of the most important factors, your mental and physical health.
If you have identified with the beginning of this text, this post is an alert for you! After all, the lack of care for your health can reflect both your quality of life and your productivity in the work environment.
Want to know how? Read on and find out why self-care is essential for digital business workers.
Self-care in digital work: how to protect health and performance
In fast-paced routines with deadlines, targets, and constant notifications, self-care stops being “optional” and becomes part of a work strategy. Balancing physical and mental health helps sustain focus, make better decisions, build healthier team relationships, and reduce the risk of leave. Consistent habits also help prevent common occupational issues from long hours at the computer, such as RSI/WMSDs, and support early recognition of warning signs like persistent exhaustion and reduced performance. In practice, small, steady routine changes can noticeably improve well-being and daily output.
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Balance physical and mental health to sustain your routine;
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Watch for chronic stress and burnout warning signs;
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Prevent RSI/WMSDs with breaks, stretching, and ergonomics;
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Add regular exercise and balanced eating to your routine;
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Seek professional help when emotional distress becomes intense.
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What you will see in today’s content
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Why balancing physical and mental health affects focus, decisions, and workplace relationships;
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How target pressure and hyperconnectivity can increase emotional risks in digital work;
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Which occupational issues are common and what typically triggers them;
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What RSI is and how repetitive effort can affect those who type daily;
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How WMSDs relate to poor posture and long hours at the computer;
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Why depression and anxiety require attention and when to seek professional help;
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Three practical habits to adopt: exercise, nutrition, and breaks with stretching;
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Why ergonomics and short, frequent breaks help prevent fatigue and pain.
Enjoy your reading!
How important is physical and mental health care?
Before answering the question in this topic, we invite you to think for a minute about your routine. When analyzing your work schedule, you realize that this is one of the activities that takes up a large part of your day, correct?
There are those who work 44 hours a week or more, and in order to deal with the day-to-day rush and have a good relationship with customers and their team, it is necessary to seek a balance between physical and mental health.
If your goal is sustainable business growth, self-care becomes part of the strategy. Mental health at work affects focus, decision-making, team relationships, and even the risk of time off—especially in digital routines driven by targets and constant notifications. Protecting it improves performance without draining people over the week.
Whether you are a manager or employee looking to be a good leader, the first step is to invest in your mental health care. Taking care of yourself, you can deal with and circumvent possible situations. Not to mention that, by being able to master your emotions, you can focus 100% on your activities, whether to create digital marketing or make the first contact with the customer.
In addition, according to the Brazilian Journal of Sports Medicine, taking care of your physical health can also bring great benefits, such as improving your physical conditioning.
Physical health care can still help with motor coordination, increase motivation and even self-esteem. Consequently, it also improves their performance within the company.
But it does not stop there! Taking care of physical and mental health can also prevent possible occupational diseases, and that's what we're going to talk about in the next topic.
Beyond physical pain, pay attention to emotional risks linked to work. Burn-out is described by WHO as an occupational phenomenon associated with chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. If fatigue becomes constant exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance, treat it as an early warning—and act before it escalates.
Image: In a fast-paced routine, caring for physical and mental health at work supports well-being and productivity.
Physical and mental health: the most common illnesses in the workplace
This topic gained global momentum: World Mental Health Day 2017 focused on “mental health in the workplace.” Since then, the conversation has grown even more with remote work, always-on connectivity, and faster-paced digital targets.
Despite the various discussions on the subject, there are those who still do not prioritize self-care. But what are the consequences of leaving our health aside? Next, we will list the three main occupational diseases that affect Brazilians.
RSI
According to Brazil’s Ministry of Health (Saúde Brasil 2018), repetitive strain injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders are among the most reported worker health issues. In digital routines, repetitive motions, few breaks, and makeshift ergonomics can increase risk — especially during long hours at the computer.
But for you to understand them, let's explain them in different topics, ok?
First, let's talk about RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury. As the name implies, RSI is a problem caused by repetitive movement. For example, if you work daily, typing, you are putting a constant strain on your hands, and this, in the long run, can affect your health and cause an injury.
WMSD
Another occupational problem that affects thousands of workers is WMSD or Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders. Caused by inadequate posture, WMSD can cause chronic pain that, if left untreated, can have serious consequences.
Imagine the following situation: you work from home with sales and customer prospecting and spend many hours in front of the computer. As you go through the day, typing and dealing with the prospect, do you think you would remember to pay attention to your posture?
Although this is a fictitious example, it is common for problems with WRMD to arise from incorrect posture and excessive repetitive movements. To prevent such diseases, both RSI and WMSDs, stretching and physical exercises are recommended.
Depression
Depression and anxiety directly affect work. WHO and the ILO estimate that billions of workdays are lost every year due to these conditions. That’s why the guidelines emphasize prevention, support, and workplace adjustments—not just “pushing through” when mental strain is already high.
The index is a great warning. After all, are we giving adequate attention to our mental health? Like the body, the mind requires care to face challenges in the work routine.
Whether due to overload, excessive pressure or even emotional problems caused by some conflict within the team, it is important to be aware of the signs of depression and seek help from a professional.
If you’re in severe emotional distress or a crisis, seek help immediately. In Brazil, CVV 188 provides free 24/7 emotional support (in partnership with the public health system), plus chat and other channels. It doesn’t replace professional care, but it can be a safe first step so you don’t face it alone.
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3 tips for taking care of physical and mental health
If you work in the digital environment, you now know that, in order to have a good work environment and evolve as an entrepreneur, you need to take care of your health first and foremost. But in practice, how to do this? Come with us to discover three tips to implement in your routine!
1. Practice physical activities
Regular exercise has well-established benefits: physical activity helps prevent and manage chronic diseases, improves heart health, supports weight management, and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. For digital workers, it’s a practical counterbalance to sedentary time and accumulated stress.
But the benefits of exercising are not just limited to our bodies. Physical activities can also contribute to the mind, with reduced stress, anxiety control, memory strengthening and a sense of well-being.
2. Take care of your food
It seems obvious to say that food is important for our health. But with the rush of everyday life, it's also difficult to pay attention to everything we consume, isn't it? An exception here, another little piece there and, thus, we create unhealthy habits.
You can even say: “but I exercise, so everything is ok”, but make no mistake, to maintain balance and good health, it is essential to combine food with the practice of physical activities. A balanced diet, in addition to preventing diseases, can increase your disposition, contribute to a good night's sleep and even help in the functioning of the nervous system.
3.Take breaks
Let's talk about your day to day at work?! During hours of performing an activity, it is not always easy to maintain concentration and productivity, so short breaks are more than welcome so you can return to work with more energy.
During this time, take a deep breath and stretch, after sitting for hours, they will help you relax and also contribute to your quality of life.
If you work on a computer, ergonomics isn’t a detail—it’s prevention. Brazil’s NR-17 (Ergonomics) focuses on adapting work conditions to people’s needs to reduce discomfort and injury risk. Adjust monitor height, support your feet, keep your arms relaxed, and take short, frequent breaks to reduce fatigue and pain.
Also enjoy lunch time, and don't keep your mind on the work to be done, ok? Take this time to really rest and be able to come back with full gas.
Did you like the tips? It's time to put them into practice! By starting to exercise these three habits in your routine, you can change your performance, take better care of your health and evolve professionally.
And speaking of work, now that you know how to improve your productivity, it's time to find out how to attract customers online with the right Inbound Marketing tactics! Subscribe to our newsletter.
Frequently asked questions about self-care in digital work
Why is self-care essential for people working in digital businesses?
Self-care is essential because digital work often involves a fast-paced routine, with deadlines, targets, customer service demands, and constant notifications. In this context, neglecting health can directly affect both quality of life and productivity. When mental health is protected, it becomes easier to stay focused, make clearer decisions, maintain healthier team relationships, and reduce the risk of taking leave. Caring for the body also helps sustain energy throughout the week, supporting better daily performance and long-term consistency.
How does mental health affect productivity at work?
Mental health affects productivity by shaping focus, decision-making, and how you relate to your team. When you can manage emotions more effectively, you tend to handle difficult situations with more balance and work more consistently on tasks such as building strategies, serving customers, and organizing priorities. In digital routines with performance pressure, mental health is also connected to the risk of leave: protecting it helps maintain results without “burning” energy across the week.
What work benefits can physical health care provide?
Caring for physical health can improve fitness and bring gains such as motor coordination, motivation, and self-esteem. In practice, these effects translate into more daily energy and better performance within the company. The text also presents physical care as prevention, helping reduce risks linked to long work hours — especially when tasks involve sitting for long periods and repeating movements. When both body and mind are supported, work becomes more sustainable.
What is burnout, and which signs deserve attention?
Burnout is described as an occupational phenomenon associated with chronic workplace stress that has not been well managed. The text warns that when tiredness turns into constant exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance, it is a clear sign to pay attention — and to act early. In digital routines with targets, pressure, and hyperconnectivity, these signs can build up gradually. Watching for persistent changes in energy, motivation, and output helps prevent normalizing a level of strain that can worsen.
What is RSI, and why is it common for computer-based work?
RSI refers to repetitive strain injury and is linked to movements repeated frequently. In digital work, typing every day can create continuous strain in the hands and, over time, this can harm health and lead to injury. The text also highlights that repeated movements, few breaks, and improvised ergonomics increase the risk — especially during long computer-based shifts. Recognizing repetition as a risk factor is an important step toward preventing pain and limitations.
What is WMSD, and how can posture make it worse?
WMSDs are work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and the text connects them strongly to poor posture and the work context. It explains that WMSDs can cause chronic pain and, if not treated, lead to serious consequences. In home office settings or long hours at a computer, it’s common to stop paying attention to posture while handling tasks and clients. The combination of incorrect posture and excessive repetitive movement increases risk, reinforcing the need for simple, consistent prevention habits.
How can I prevent RSI and WMSDs in everyday work?
Prevention involves breaks, stretching, and physical exercise, which the text recommends to reduce the risk of both RSI and WMSDs. Ergonomics is also presented as central: adapting the workstation and taking short, frequent breaks help reduce fatigue and pain. In practice, this means avoiding hours in the same position, adding moments for breathing and stretching, and responding to discomfort signals before they turn into persistent pain.
Why do depression and anxiety require attention in the workplace?
Depression and anxiety directly affect professional routines and are presented as an important warning in the text. The mind, like the body, requires care to face daily work challenges — especially under overload, excessive pressure, or conflicts within a team. The text recommends paying attention to signs and seeking help from a professional, rather than trying to “push through” when mental limits have been reached. Recognizing early signs is part of self-care and sustainable work.
What should I do if I’m in intense emotional distress or in crisis?
If you are in intense emotional distress or a crisis, the text advises seeking help immediately. It mentions CVV 188 as a free 24/7 emotional support channel, in partnership with SUS, as well as chat and other options. It also emphasizes that this does not replace professional care, but can be a safe first step so you don’t go through it alone. The core message is to act early and look for support, especially when distress is strongly affecting well-being and routine.
Which practical habits help care for physical and mental health?
The text provides three practical tips: exercise regularly, take care of your diet, and take breaks. Exercise is presented as a way to reduce stress, help control anxiety, strengthen memory, and increase well-being, alongside benefits for the body. A balanced diet is described as an essential complement, supporting energy, sleep, and the nervous system. Breaks — with breathing and stretching—help restore energy, relax after hours sitting, and maintain productivity with better quality throughout the day.
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