You’re working remotely, but your work-life balance is suffering. How can you fix it?

setting clear boundaries can be hard, especially if you’re the sort of person who wants to just get stuff done. One thing I have found useful is blocking time out in my calendar for smaller more frequent breaks. Instead of one full hour I take four 15 minute breaks throughout the day, sometimes I take 3 20 minute breaks. I still have enough time to eat at lunch, but also rest away from my screen. The hardest challenge I have I finishing on time, but to combat this, I have been keeping track of any over hours I have done and then on occasion block that time in my calendar to either start later or finish earlier. Some places are not this flexible however. I think the most important thing is remembering that you are one person.

A healthy work-life balance is significant for your overall well-being. Start by setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, for example in the form of dedicated work hours. For that, you need to learn how to prioritize tasks. It can be helpful to work with tools, e.g., to track your time for specific tasks. This will help you better anticipate your workload and your free time. Make sure you communicate your availability directly to your team members to establish a mutual understanding. Lastly, there are many things to do outside of work, such as sports, friends, hobbies, and more. Find something you like, and incorporate it as part of your daily life, so your work-life balance becomes even more important.

Establish and communicate your ideal work-life balance and boundaries. Established members of an organization: communicate this by email, team meeting/ channel, and directly to your manager. If you're interviewing for a role, ask them these questions: - How do you define a healthy work-life balance for all? - What "emergencies" in my role would require me to sacrifice my time outside of normal business hours? Remember that boundaries are for you - not others. Unless your role is of life-or-death level criticality, there is never: - a need to have work apps on your personal phone, - a need to check and respond to emails after hours and - a need to be made to feel guilty about your boundaries. AI can help polish your message. Ask me how!

Along with communication making time boundaries visible is very important. Blocking the calendar clearly with available work time slot is first step towards setting the boundaries. Encourage your team to do the same and respect each other's schedule. Also resist the temptation of doing personal work during work hours or vice versa. Mark clear boundaries with your appearance and attire. Dress up professionally during work hours. You will see the difference in your attitude.

I chose and made happen a lifestyle in which I do not "suffer" because of work as I used to. I found balance between work and my personal life by simply changing my way of approaching things. I found a job and workplace answering to my own needs and I change my personal lifestyle to allow inner balance (I'm a yogi). Before giving any advice I would first ask you this question: what is your ideal work/life balance? What are your needs? How can you make things different? Then, deepening further, every day, how do you want to function? How can you adjust your work and workspace so that you can allow balance ? What else could you do so that you feel and live balanced. If any question, feel free to reach me to learn more.

Have a routine and try and follow it religiously in order to set the expectations right with family and colleagues. Have a routine for yourself as well about staring the work day and closing the work day. Your mind and body will also know what to expect.

Unset expectations are opportunities for unnecessary disappointments. Communication and even openness to dialogue about setting expectations with self, work, and your friends & family, allow an individual to establish expectations of performance, results, what is, acceptable, etc. Most people struggle with this balance as a result of unrealistic expectations. Communicating a daily list of goals to family and coworkers alike has been beneficial In having everyone involved aware what to expect from me.

Some research has shown that hybrid and remote work has created opportunities for increased diversity. Yet, remote work might actually be holding back on belonging. In the market survey, only two in three remote and hybrid workers (65%) said they could be their true self at work. For fully onsite workers, that number rose to 71%. The rise of surveillance tactics for remote workers could be part of the story. Or, employees are tired of feeling they have to perform for the camera, and are having trouble connecting with colleagues in a virtual environment. It takes a lot of work to build trust and help people belong. Just offering remote work doesn’t guarantee that employees will feel a sense of belonging.

It can be hectic and lonely to be present virtually all the time. Try to be on video calls as much as possible to ensure effective communication and to know your colleagues better. Make sure you compensate the remote work with other in person social events with friends or other like minded groups.

As the Founder and Director of Expressive Connections Mental Health Counseling, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to maintain a healthy work-life balance when working remotely. I make it a priority to take breaks, just as I would in an office setting. Stepping away from my desk to stretch, grab a snack, or go for a short walk helps me recharge and maintain focus, rather than trying to power through without any breaks. Engaging in non-work activities has been crucial for disconnecting and recharging. For me that’s walking my dog in between meetings. While it's been an ongoing process, doing these things has been instrumental in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and overall well-being while working remotely.

Try and learn something new, pursue some hobbies but don’t loose the connection with real world. Do not lock yourself up indoor. Step outside, go for walks, go for jog, find a walking buddy, join some group fitness activities, exercise regularly to keep yourself fit mentally and physically.

Reflect on how you can work smarter versus harder. For instance, there are many keyboard shortcuts that dramatically speed up repetitive tasks. A dual monitor can speed up with across multiple applications or tabs. Also, music without words (i.e., classical or trance) can help get in a zone.