Working remotely can have a lot of great benefits for many employees, but it can also cause the lines between work and life to become more blurred.
Flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere with a virtual office can make it challenging to separate work from personal life.
Remote workers need to prioritize creating a healthy work-life balance and getting the most out of their virtual office following this guide to learn how.
1. Establish a Routine
Setting up a routine can make it easier to keep your work life and your personal life separate. Create routines that you can stick to when working in a virtual office, like those offered by iPostal1, by setting regular working hours and sticking to them as much as possible. You can also set clear expectations for how often you are available and how quickly you will respond to emails or messages, even if it is outside of regular working hours.
Make it known that while you want to collaborate, your availability is limited at certain times during the day or week to allow you to take time off. These tips will help you create a sense of structure and routine in your day, which can be especially important if you work from home.
2. Designate a Workspace
Dedicate an area in your home for working purposes. Having a designated work space promotes productivity and helps your mind stay focused on work tasks. A dedicated workspace also enables you to be less distracted from household duties or unfinished chores.
A designated workspace can also help create a clear separation between work and personal life. Your workspace could be a separate room or area in your home or a co-working space. It’s crucial to ensure that your workspace is quiet, comfortable, and free from distractions. If you’re working from home, it can be helpful to let your family or roommates know that your workspace is off-limits during working hours.
3. Communicate With Your Team
Communication is vital when it comes to remote work. It’s essential to stay in touch with your team and ensure everyone is on the same page. Regular check-ins can help you stay connected, and using tools like video conferencing can help you feel more connected to your colleagues when you are all in different places.
4. Utilize Time-Tracking Tools
When working remotely, it can be easy to lose track of time and end up working longer hours than necessary. The lack of boundaries between work and home time is where time-tracking tools can come in handy. By using these tools, you can keep track of how much time you are spending on different tasks and ensure that you are working efficiently.
5. Set Boundaries
When you work remotely, it can be easy to let work bleed into your personal life. To prevent work from spilling into your personal life, it’s essential to set clear boundaries. These boundaries could include turning off your work phone or email after a specific time or not checking work-related messages on weekends or holidays. Setting these boundaries can help you achieve a better work-life balance and prevent burnout.
6. Stick to Your Working Hours
As tempting as it may be, try to avoid logging on to your computer outside of your regular working hours unless it is absolutely necessary. Having working hours will help keep the boundary between work and leisure balanced and ensure there’s enough energy left over at the end of each day for yourself and other people in your life who matter.
7. Take Breaks
No matter how experienced or senior you are as a remote worker, you must take breaks throughout the day. Breaks will provide you with much-needed physical rest, but they also provide an opportunity to mentally detach from work tasks and switch off entirely for a few minutes if needed. Use this time to stretch, take a walk, or do something that helps you relax.
Consider scheduling brief breaks into your calendar throughout the day so you can stay productive and focused and prevent burnout. Remind yourself to take them via notifications on your phone so you don’t forget.
8. Prioritize Self-Care
Remote work can be stressful, which is why it’s essential to prioritize self-care. Whether it’s spending an hour reading your favorite book or going on a hike in nature, these moments of self-care will enable you to feel refreshed and motivated each day.
You could also include things like exercise, meditation, or simply taking time to do something you enjoy as part of your self-care routine. Taking care of yourself can help you feel more energized and motivated, ultimately leading to better work performance.
9. Get Outdoors
Spending too much time indoors can negatively impact mental well-being, so make sure that you also get outside regularly. Going outdoors every day, even if it is just to take a walk around the block, will provide many benefits, such as improved concentration and creativity.
10. Make Time for Social Connection
Working remotely can be isolating, which is why it’s essential to make time for social connection. Setting up virtual socials or group activities with colleagues is a great way to stay connected and ensure you take enough breaks throughout the day.
Some of these virtual social events could be online networking events or virtual coffee breaks with coworkers. You can also take part in video calls, take lunch together, and play games as a way for remote teams to keep morale high while apart. By staying connected with others, you can reduce feelings of isolation and improve your overall well-being.
Conclusion
An essential part of being a remote worker is ensuring you create a good work-life balance because it will help you stay healthy and productive.
Setting boundaries with clients and coworkers, setting up a dedicated workspace, making a routine and sticking to set work hours, taking regular breaks, and practicing self-care by spending at least one day a week in nature should all help you reach this goal and find more balance between work and your personal life.
