This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 7th Apr 2022.

Tight and often shared spaces, wrong postures, the boss who calls up at all hours, the requests that never end and the infinite zoom calls. During the pandemic, most people who worked from home have complained of physical problems and increased mental stress. Read further to know how you can manage your everyday schedule for a better life-work-integration and wellbeing.

Does Remote Work Flexibility Come at a Cost? - You can rest assured that the answer is no. I have been working remotely for many years now, and although reaching a balance between work and personal life is not as easy as it seems, there are certain practical exercises that you can include in your remote work routine to make the most of your day, professionally and personally. 

Many people tend to operate with unhealthy boundaries due to underlying fears about how they are perceived to be working and performing. Sometimes these feelings can be fueled by a toxic working environment, other times we are just getting in our own way. I recently worked with one mentee who set up an imaginary meeting with herself on Teams to make it look like she was having a meeting so she could justify taking a break. In fact, the pressure on remote workers’ mental health was particularly dramatic during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, when studies showed an uptick in perceived levels of stress among people who were working from home. However, what James Edmondson called “low-level chronic anxiety” in his reflection on adjusting to home working, can affect remote workers even outside of the context of a global pandemic. 

Statistically speaking, data shows that we tend to work longer hours when we are based at home. An Owl labs report in 2021 found 55% of respondents say they work more hours remotely than at the office. This ONS report finds those who work from home are generally doing at least 6 hours of unpaid overtime a week compared to only 3.6 hours for those who never work at home. 

Remote work is not new: many companies have been successfully and purposefully operating remotely for a long time. What the pandemic has introduced, is a misconception about what working remotely entails. There are very few fully remote companies tracking or expecting people to sit for nine hours at the desk. To the contrary: organisations with a strategy for remote work tend to actively encourage practises such as walking meetings, wellbeing days, and Friday afternoons off. This means that with the privilege of flexible working comes self-responsibility and the need to self-manage and self-lead. The ability to do this starts with a level of self-awareness so that you notice when you are not taking good care of yourself and working at the expense of your health and wellbeing. I observe and foster this self-awareness via a daily journaling practice and also by working with a professional mentor, to give me accountability.  

How I Manage Myself for Better Life-Work Integration - Remote work gives us massive flexibility but it also gives us huge responsibility for our own self-management… When we can work from our house for as many hours as we want, why do we choose to overwork? Why do we choose to sit at the machine, bleary-eyed rather than go for that walk?

Fully remote companies such as GitLab, Doist, Elastic etc are very transparent about their core values, strong rest ethic and time off to boost productivity and performance. With employees in many countries, working across several time zones, they have asynchronous work policies, generous vacation and reimbursement for gym memberships and healthy snacks. As remote workers, we must take our individual well being seriously to avoid isolation, burnout and stress-related conditions. 

In other words, as a remote worker, you need to self-regulate and self-discipline to monitor and manage your emotions and behaviours in a healthy and productive manner. In the main, the responsibility falls at your feet, you need to take the lead and drive your own life-work integration, putting your own well being needs to the fore. I have been working remotely for many years, learning and adjusting as I go on how to self-organise in order to prioritise myself while still being productive. 

Here are my top 5 tips:

Fridays are for putting me First - every Friday morning, I have a reminder in my calendar to review the following week’s calendar and put in my personal needs FIRST. Work breaks, personal hobbies, activities, self-care, social meetings etc., all get added before work commitments.

Evening shut down - work is finished. Period. Plan your afternoon or evening shutdown by not taking on any new tasks after a certain time (for me it is 2pm) and then hide/pack away your work devices to help you really disconnect.

Morning glory - what sets your day up with a healthy start? For me it is some gentle exercise, stretching, outside light and writing before I work. What one thing would you include to make your morning matter to your well being?

Daily non-negotiable - what one thing for you do you do everyday that is non-negotiable? For me, it is outside light and a walk. Everyday. What's yours?

Micro moments that matter - our brain needs regular rest periods during the day, the science proves that! I have a few energising supports on hand. Some examples include: Some mindful breathing exercises. Taking a walk around the block at mid-day. Having a walking meeting during the afternoon. Using refreshing essential oils on my pulse points to support relaxation and/or boost energy.

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This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 7th Apr 2022.