Ditch poor remote habits: always-on, no breaks, little sleep, frequent phone checks, over-hustling. Value mental health over false productivity.
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Remote work has become increasingly popular over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote policies. There are several key reasons why remote work has risen in popularity:
While remote work certainly has its benefits, it also comes with unique challenges that employees should be mindful of:
The key is finding ways to maximize the advantages of remote work while minimizing the potential downsides. With proper strategies, remote work can be highly rewarding for both employees and employers.
Constant connectivity can be a double-edged sword when working remotely. While the flexibility to work from anywhere at any time can be freeing, it can also lead to feeling like you need to be online and available 24/7.
Always being "on call" makes it incredibly difficult to ever fully disconnect from work. Without clear boundaries, work can bleed into all hours of the day and night. You may find yourself checking and responding to emails late into the evening, on weekends, and even on vacation.
Over time, this constant accessibility can take a major toll on your mental health and work-life balance. It's easy to burn out when you never get a break from your job. You may also start to resent your work if you feel tethered to it at all times.
To avoid falling into the trap of 24/7 availability, be intentional about setting boundaries with your time. Make it clear to your manager and colleagues when you are online versus offline. Schedule regular breaks where you disconnect completely. And don't be afraid to ignore non-urgent issues during your personal time. Your mental health has to be the priority.
One of the most tempting things about working from home is that it's easy to work non-stop without co-workers around to chat with or take coffee breaks. While it may seem productive to work for hours on end without stepping away from your computer, this can actually take a major toll on your mental health.
When we don't take regular breaks throughout the day, it's easy to get burnt out and overwhelmed. Our brains and bodies need time to recharge in order to stay energized and focused. Taking even short 5-10 minute breaks every hour can give your mind a chance to rest and reset. This helps boost productivity in the long-run compared to working in an endless slog.
It's also important to take longer breaks for lunch or to simply move around and stretch your legs. Without co-workers around, it can be tempting to eat a quick lunch at your desk and keep working. However, taking 30-60 minutes away from your computer gives both your body and mind a chance to fully recharge. Stepping away and moving around is healthy and helps you return to work feeling refreshed.
Making time for breaks is key for maintaining mental health when working remotely. Don't fall into the trap of thinking breaks are a waste of time - they actually help you stay energized and focused, leading to better long-term productivity. Remind yourself to step away regularly, even if just for a few minutes. Your mind and body will thank you.
Remote workers often worry about looking unproductive or lazy compared to office workers who are visible to managers and coworkers. There can be intense pressure to seem constantly busy and engaged even during downtime.
Some remote workers end up overcompensating by working longer hours, skipping breaks, or rushing tasks just to appear productive. They may hesitate to step away from their computer for a proper lunch or take time off when needed.
The always-on work culture makes some remote workers anxious about how their productivity is perceived. They may feel guilty about taking breaks or feel the need to be visibly working at all times. This can lead to burnout, lack of focus, and poorer work quality over time.
It's important for remote workers to keep perspective and recognize when they need to recharge. Taking reasonable breaks helps maintain energy and focus needed for deep work. Managers should also reassure remote team members that downtime and rest periods are understood as part of a normal, healthy workflow. With the right balance, remote workers can stay energized and avoid burnout.
Working from home makes it harder to maintain a regular sleep routine. Without the need to commute to an office, it's tempting to stay up later and sleep in more. This lack of a consistent sleep schedule can wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm. Your body's internal clock gets thrown off, making it difficult to feel tired at night and awake in the morning.
Furthermore, the boundaries between work and personal time get blurred when your office is your home. You may end up working later into the evening or checking emails right before bed. The blue light emitted from screens can suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.
Chronic lack of sleep takes a major toll on your physical and mental health. Not getting the recommended 7-9 hours per night is linked to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and anxiety. Sleep deprivation also impairs cognitive function, attention, and memory. You may find yourself making more mistakes, struggling with focus, and lacking motivation.
Making sleep a priority is crucial when working from home. Set a consistent sleep schedule, limit screen time before bed, and create sleep-promoting habits like reading a book or meditating. Getting adequate rest will boost your performance, productivity, and overall wellbeing.
One of the most common bad habits when working remotely is constantly checking your phone outside of work hours. Many of us have developed a habit of checking emails or Slack messages right before going to bed or first thing in the morning. While it may seem harmless, this habit can significantly disrupt your ability to mentally relax and focus.
When you check your phone before bed, you expose your brain to new information and stimulation before trying to sleep. This can make it much harder to wind down and drift off. The light from your phone screen can also suppress melatonin production, further disrupting your sleep. As a result, you may end up feeling tired and groggy the next day.
Similarly, checking your phone first thing in the morning puts you in a reactive state of mind from the moment you wake up. Rather than setting your own agenda and priorities for the day, you allow yourself to be distracted and thrown off course by whatever messages came in overnight. This makes it harder to start your day feeling focused and proactive.
To break this habit, set boundaries around when you will and won't check your devices outside of work hours. For example, put your phone in do not disturb mode 30-60 minutes before bed and don't check it again until after your morning routine. During the workday, try to limit checking your phone to specific times, rather than constantly reaching for it out of habit. This will help you stay mentally present and focused.
When working from home, it's very easy to snack and eat meals at your desk without any co-workers around to hold you accountable. The boundaries between work and personal life blur, making it tempting to have food within arm's reach all day long. This constant snacking can lead to weight gain and other health issues over time.
It's important to take dedicated lunch and snack breaks away from your workspace. Eat at a table without distractions to properly focus on your food. This allows you to get a mental break, avoid mindless eating in front of a screen, and establish healthier eating routines. Having set meal times also helps maintain energy levels throughout the day.
Without the structure of an office, it takes discipline to avoid grazing all day or skipping meals entirely when you're busy. But establishing good remote work eating habits is essential for your physical and mental wellbeing. Take time to prepare nutritious meals and snacks, hydrate regularly, and step away from your desk to eat. Your body and productivity will thank you.
Working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness due to the lack of in-person interactions with coworkers. When working in an office, there are many opportunities for impromptu conversations and social interactions throughout the day. Grabbing coffee together, chatting in the hallway, collaborating at a whiteboard, or going out to lunch allows connections to form and friendships to develop.
However, these casual social interactions are lost when working from home. Without seeing coworkers face-to-face, it can be easy to feel disconnected and isolated. Video calls and messaging are just not the same as those impromptu encounters that build camaraderie and team cohesion. The social aspects of work life diminish, which can negatively impact morale and motivation.
Some remote workers report feeling like they are living two separate lives - their professional life through a screen and their personal life at home. The lack of integration between work and social can make remote workers feel lonely and unhappy. It's important for remote workers to be proactive in finding ways to socialize and connect with others, even if just virtually. But the spontaneous social interactions of the office are hard to recreate remotely.
Many remote workers feel pressure to constantly be hustling and doing more. There is a perception that working from home means you should be working all the time. This can lead to a non-stop hustle culture mindset.
The always-on work culture reinforces the feeling that you need to be working around the clock to prove your worth. There is a risk that without the structure of an office, some remote workers will overwork themselves trying to seem productive.
The pressure to hustle harder and accomplish more goals can put remote workers at risk of burnout. It's easy to keep pushing yourself when there's no one else around to tell you to stop working. But working non-stop is unsustainable.
Without proper rest and recovery time, remote workers are prone to fatigue, irritability, lack of motivation, and diminished performance. Pushing yourself to exhaustion can actually lead to getting less done in the long run.
It's important for remote workers to set boundaries and realistic work schedules. Taking breaks, unplugging after work hours, and avoiding constant hustle culture thinking is vital. Value your time off as much as your work time. The key is balancing focused effort with restorative rest.
One of the biggest challenges of remote work is knowing when to stop working and log off for the day. It's easy to get caught up in the "always on" mentality and feel like you need to be available at all hours. This can lead to burnout and make it hard to ever fully disconnect.
When you don't have set office hours or a commute home to transition out of work mode, it can be tempting to work later and later into the evening. You might tell yourself you'll just send a few more emails or finish up one last task. Before you know it, you're working well past when you intended to log off for the day. Without clear boundaries, work can bleed into your personal life.
Here are some tips to make it easier to stop working and log off at a reasonable hour:
In addition to logging off on time, it's important to set boundaries in the evening and on weekends. This ensures you fully recharge outside of work.
Some tips include:
Setting clear boundaries and having tactics to unwind and disconnect will help prevent burnout. Be disciplined in logging off on time and not working during your personal hours. It will allow you to be more present, engaged, and balanced.
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