It’s no secret that as a Twitch streamer, we love spending time with our community. Whether it’s playing your favorite game in front of your followers or building up hype through an IRL stream, many streamers (especially new ones) can find themselves entertaining their audience for a significant amount of time. This means it can be easy to neglect your own health and wellness at the expense of providing exciting content and possibly even your stream income/financial stability.
At some point, it’s time to take a step back, reflect, and make healthy upgrades to your streaming setup and habits. Here are some ways to get you started.
Be mindful of your posture
As you stream, you’ll be spending lots of time at your desk, and that means a lot of time sitting down in a chair. If you’re spending hours upon hours in a sedentary position, it may be time to think about how you can break up the time you spend seated or improve your overall posture when you are sitting.
Start by evaluating your gaming chair. Does it have the proper lumbar support, headrests, and armrests? Believe it or not, ergonomic chairs that are built specifically for gaming can make quite a difference for the state of your body. View this list of the best gaming chairs of 2021 to get your mind turning!
Other ways you need to implement good physical health into your stream schedule are frequent walks (around your house) and occasional stretching. Allowing your body to get some frequent movement will not only make you feel better physically but will also sharpen your cognitive abilities when playing a game and interacting with your chat.
Think about how you can get your daily dose of physical exercise (and even how you can share it with your community). Nowadays, exercise streams have taken on a life of their own on Twitch, and could be the perfect type of alternative content to balance with your gameplay! Do some research on gaming exercises or browse the likes of YouTube to get you in tip-top shape.
Remember to eat and hydrate
Depending on your stream schedule, it may be hard to find time to eat and regularly drink. However, this should be a priority, even if you’re doing so on stream. Most new streamers find themselves streaming during the day or late at night, which can be during times you would normally be eating lunch or dinner. If you’re going to skip a meal, at least be sure to snack throughout your stream and stay hydrated.
One convenience to keep in mind while you stream is the access to grocery delivery. As your stream becomes more successful and time-consuming, it can be hard to get to the grocery store to refill the pantry with gaming snacks, water bottles, energy drinks, and any late-night essentials to power you through your stream. These kinds of services are the perfect compliment when your schedule gets hectic.
Remember to get a wide variety of groceries as well! There is nothing wrong with getting snacks delivered, but remember to shop for healthy items too. Easy-to-eat fruits and nuts for example, are the perfect and quick healthy snack options you can eat on stream. The same goes for what types of drinks to consume.. Energy drinks are great way to keep you awake during the late night hours, but be sure to supply yourself with enough water in order to keep you feeling good from start to finish.
Reset with off-days
Streaming can become addictive, especially if you’re starting to gain traction and a following on Twitch or Youtube. However, it’s important to remember to take some time for yourself and focus on your mental health as you pursue your streaming career. Depending on how often you stream, it’s important to take days off to focus on self-care.
Think about the things you enjoy off-stream and spend your time doing these things. Whether that be hanging out with friends, catching up on TV, or hitting the gym, utilizing your off-days to mentally reset will not only keep you sane, but will also help you form better content since you’ll be in a better mood.
Be sure to let your followers know when you’re taking time off stream via a social media post and when you will be back in action.
Get adequate sleep
Along the lines of self-care, getting enough sleep as a streamer is a huge part of being successful. Being a content creator requires a lot of time and dedication on and off stream, so recharging your batteries with adequate sleep should be a priority. While it’s true that being a content creator is a grind and requires hours and hours of dedication, recharging your batteries regularly should be a priority for streamers for many reasons.
For starters, getting quality amounts of sleep provides you with tons of energy. This will make you more energetic, more lively, and overall more entertaining on stream. As opposed to being drowsy from streaming into the late night or early morning, you’re more likely to attract viewers when you feel your best and are wide awake. Creating a sleep schedule in combination with a streaming schedule allows your viewers to get familiar with when you go live. Scheduling your streams is the best way to grow your community fast since they know when to expect you!
Maintain a tidy stream setup
Last but not least, having a tidy stream room can be the final piece of the puzzle of being a healthy streamer. What we mean by this is ,avoid clutter on your desk and in your room. Not only can a messy area look less than ideal on camera, but it can also stress you out and make you feel overwhelmed. Take time regularly off-stream to clean up after yourself and keep your workspace tidy.
Plus, it’s essential to keep your workspace dust-free and disinfected. Whether or not you have seasonal allergies, or are trying to stay safe amidst the pandemic, invest in cleaning products for your setup to ensure everything is wiped down while you’re entertaining your audience. This can help prevent you from getting sick and avoiding sick days (more streaming time!)
As you navigate your streaming career, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself first and foremost. While things can take off rather quickly, it’s important to remember your roots and take care of your wellness as you navigate your path.
Happy streaming!
