Tips for a Healthy Remote Work Environment
With 16% of the world’s companies now operating 100% remotely, there’s a growing need for healthy behaviors that work outside the office.* Better productivity, fewer distractions and proper work-life balance are all benefits that come with a thoughtful remote work policy. The trend is growing; UpWork estimates that 22% of the workforce (36.2 million Americans) will work remotely by 2025. We encourage our remote readers to practice the healthy habits listed below to avoid burnout.
Block Scheduling
Begin your day by highlighting any major tasks with hard deadlines. From there, prioritize these tasks while adding time estimates. Note these tasks and review your calendar to look for open blocks of time to schedule completing these tasks. It is good practice to allow full transparency on a Google or Outlook calendar for fellow employees and administration, so that they can understand what you’re working on and avoid unneeded interruptions. If you finish tasks ahead of schedule, we encourage you to review smaller to-do’s and organize them by high, medium or low priority.
Routine Breaks
Making the shift to remote work requires stress management, outlined boundaries and mental health check-ins. Flexible, remote work is a welcome privilege for many employees. However, constant access to your workstation presents a new opportunity for burnout.
Throughout the day, check in with yourself. Are your legs numb? Is your neck stiff? How long have you been seated? There are numerous ways to add breaks to your day.
Invest in an adjustable workstation that allows you to alternate standing or sitting to keep yourself moving.
Go for a walk. Many of us have seen a reduced amount of physical activity since working from home.
Read a book or listen to a podcast. When working remote, we tend to focus on work even when on break. Try to shift your focus toward something unrelated to your current job and simulate your mind with a new novel or an interesting podcast episode.
Breathe. The power of breath is undeniable. Try a short meditation or breathing exercise to relax and destress.
Music heals. Grab a free membership to Spotify and check out their playlists for everything from acoustic guitar to 90s hits.
Implement a few of these suggestions into your daily routine and see if you notice a shift in your stress levels. Attempt to strengthen the line between work life and personal life. For example, if your office is in your bedroom, shut down your computer and silence your notifications (when you are off the clock). If your office is in a separate room, close the door to signify the end of the workday. Do not re-enter the office again until the morning.
*FindStack, 2021