It is important to make plans for your after-work hours when working fully remotely. Our author enjoys his time off in the mountains either skiing or with this moutainbike.
One of the biggest perks of remote work is greater flexibility. As remote employees, we are often able to work from anywhere and oversee our own schedules. However, with this flexibility we can sometimes feel a greater sense of pressure.
If you are hoping to work in a different time zone than the rest of your team or just aren’t getting enough contact time together, you might feel the pressure to spend more time online and plugged-in than you would if you were in an office with regular working hours.
Here are four tips that might help you unplug from your remote job:
In my opinion, one of the major challenges of working remotely is setting boundaries. When I have the flexibility to work from anywhere, it can sometimes feel like I must be available and online all the time. If I am working on a different schedule than the rest of my team, this flexibility can actually lead to a lack of work-life balance.
When I am able to set up a clear schedule and routine, I perform better not only at work but in all areas of my life. In addition to setting up my own personal schedule, I believe it is important to communicate openly and clearly with my manager and teammates. In doing so, together we manage expectations and find ways to align our schedules. Ideally, this prevents everyone on the team from being overwhelmed with demands outside of their work schedule.
As a software engineer, I have always found that taking regular breaks helps with problem-solving and creativity. However, I feel that the benefits go far beyond that. When I can take regular short breaks, I often feel refreshed and much more likely to be able to give my full attention to the task at hand when I return to work. Whether your job involves a lot of meetings or technical tasks, I believe that everyone can benefit from taking frequent breaks. Even better if you can get outside for at least one of those breaks.
When my living space and workspace are the same, I sometimes find it hard to step away from work at the end of the day, even when my computer is closed and I am signed off. Therefore, I am very intentional about scheduling something right after work each day. Not only can that create a physical separation in space, it also creates mental space and helps me feel more relaxed. This gives me a fresh start for when I return to work the next day.
The research on the benefits exercise and sleep is endless. Regular exercise and a great night’s sleep contribute to improved mental health, mood, memory, and cognition, all very important for us as workers, not to mention as human beings. Furthermore, exercise and sleep help decrease the effects of stress that can come from work and from our daily lives. To optimize my schedule, I try to get exercise either during one of my breaks from work or make plans to work out right after work is over, combining this tip with the prior two. When I can exercise during the day, I often return to work with a new sense of focus in addition to reaping the other benefits of regular exercise.
Disclaimer: This article is provided by the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the position of OnlineDoctor.
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