Staying healthy and productive when working remotely means establishing clear boundaries and maintaining a positive outlook.

The sudden shift to remote work destroyed the physical and psychological separation between home and the office, compounded many everyday stressors, and created some new ones. Now that working from home is either mandatory or an option at many companies, many individuals are rethinking how they feel about what was once considered the ultimate employee perk.

Working remotely can negatively impact wellbeing and professional satisfaction in novel and surprising ways. But here are some suggestions for staying healthy and productive—and maybe even finding some joy—during this ongoing experiment with new ways of working.

Disruption to an already delicate equilibrium.

Long before employees worldwide were confined to their home offices, technology had allowed work to encroach on our personal time. The need for work-life balance is not new, but it has been heightened by the events of 2020.

Working from home (WFH) has many clear benefits: no commute and more flexibility with work hours, potential savings in childcare and wardrobe costs, and the ability to raid your refrigerator at lunchtime. And companies can reap the long-term rewards of lower office-space overhead and an attractive perk that many employees and candidates desire. But there is also a dark side to remote work.

With diminished physical and mental barriers between the personal and the professional, establishing a healthy balance proves elusive to many people. And placing some distance between workplace connections and home life is a necessary self-preservation technique. The inability to create healthy boundaries can lead to high stress and burnout, even in "normal" times.

But if the office is also your home, what are realistic ways to create a separation between the personal and professional?

Here’s a hint: it calls for much more than simply unplugging now and again.

The new rules for work-life balance.

The scale has tipped dramatically in favor of doing the job at all hours of the day. Here are some suggestions for leveling it—acknowledging that an example of healthy work-life balance should be set by a company’s leaders.

One way to begin managing your workload and establishing healthy boundaries is learning exactly what is expected of you, and when.

Hopefully, your company has sufficiently revised its policies to reflect the move to remote work. If there are areas of ambiguity or WFH-specific issues that have not yet been formally addressed, ask for written clarification or bring suggestions for additional benefits or programs to management. The chances are that your colleagues have the same concerns, and there are steps your employers can take to help.

Try to adhere to a consistent schedule that mirrors what you would be accomplishing if you were onsite at the office. Some newly remote workers found it helpful to create a fake commute (even if it’s only a walk around the block) to mentally prepare for the workday and mark its end.

Although you could work all hours without any breaks, resist the urge to be accessible 24/7. Focus on your productivity and output rather than time spent online. And during the time you dedicate toward working, curb the desire to take a TV break or hit the refrigerator any more than you would at the office.

Vacation and personal days may seem beside the point, but they are needed now more than ever. Make sure you take the time you are entitled to and commit to actually using it for non-work purposes. Cut the cord and take the time you need to de-stress and recharge. Failure to do so may impair overall productivity, strain personal relationships, and leave people physically and mentally vulnerable.

Identifying the stressors that lead to burnout.

Even when you love your job and believe you’ve struck a proper work-life balance, you may experience stress. Stress results in $300 billion in medical expenses and lost income in the U.S. every year. And prolonged stress can lead to burnout as well as long-term mental, emotional, and physiological effects.

Stress affects everyone, but there are ways to minimize it and manage its impact. The first step toward dealing with this pressure is identifying its root causes and triggers. Some common culprits are the workload, the work environment, professional relationships, and missed professional opportunities.

Nearly half of all employees who report being stressed at work cite the workload as their main enemy. If you are consistently falling behind and have trouble managing all of your responsibilities, there may be too many things going on at once. Even without a commute, there are only so many hours in a day. Have you been overloaded because of a cut in staff, or has the job scope expanded past reasonable expectations?

Gone are the days when the temperature in an office was the biggest complaint. Working remotely has its own set of environmental issues, from not having a dedicated home office to the technological challenges caused by everyone in your household using the Wi-Fi at the same time. Investigate: What about your home office space is hindering your work?

Maintaining healthy and productive relationships with managers and colleagues without the benefit of in-person meetings has become another source of stress and frustration. The awkwardness of online-only communications can stifle participation and create anxiety, heightening the tensions among fellow employees who have different personalities and work styles. Is there someone you should be connecting with more often in one-on-one virtual sessions?

Uncertainty about the future, a lack of professional growth opportunities, and insufficient recognition are additional stressors along the career path. Ask yourself if the unease is recent and a product of the unsettled social and economic environment or the sign of a deeper dissatisfaction.

Conduct a self-assessment to determine if you are feeling generally overwhelmed or if there are specific situations or events that are causing anxiety. Be mindful of these starting points or triggers, noting who was involved, what tasks were involved, how you reacted, and any other patterns. Once you have identified the source, you can work to eliminate it.

Minimize stress; maximize balance.

Stress—that proven destroyer of mental and physical wellbeing—can be controlled and relieved in many practical ways. Simply “making time for self-care,” one of the most overused directives in recent memory, is not necessarily one of them. Of course, you should prioritize your health. But here are some more actionable suggestions for minimizing work stress and reestablishing balance in your life.

• Tame your workload. You may be overwhelmed because you do not have an adequate organizational system in place. Or you may have too much on your plate. Work on prioritizing your tasks. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a large project, break it into smaller and more manageable steps. Reach out for help when you need it and resist the urge to suffer in silence. And let go of unrealistic expectations! Toxic perfectionism is linked to a host of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
• Communicate your needs clearly. If you have concerns about your responsibilities or other aspects of your work, reach out to people who can help, whether they are supervisors or team members. Have an honest conversation and work together to reach a solution. Letting an issue fester will only compound your stress.
• Practice consistency. A lot of stress is born of chaos and uncertainty, so make as many things as consistent as possible. Get a regular and full night’s sleep. Establish and keep a morning routine that helps you start work feeling awake and energized. Set times for breaks, even if they’re short. Work some mindfulness exercises into your day to enhance your focus.
• Cultivate interests unrelated to work. Do something healthy outside of professional hours to purge stress, such as exercise, cooking, or playing with your kids. Develop a new hobby or take some classes—anything to put some mental separation between you and work.

The importance of maintaining connectivity

Remote work kills the social interaction people naturally get at the office, and loneliness poses significant mental health risks. Social isolation is also increasing beyond the pandemic's effects; more than a quarter of the U.S. population lives alone, the highest rate ever.

Living alone and working from home can be a toxic combination when it comes to mental health. Loneliness can lead to depression, poor sleep quality, and even reduced immunity.

Working remotely puts the burden of maintaining professional contacts on you because you can no longer rely on a company lunch or an after-work happy hour. Make an effort to reinforce existing connections and develop new ones.

Find ways to bond with your remote coworkers. Creating safe spaces to communicate freely and reinforce personal as well as professional connections helps develop resiliency in digital teams. Take the time to interact with people individually instead of limiting your contact to the team Zoom meetings or weekly conference calls. Participate in any culture-building virtual events your company plans or arrange your own digital gatherings with coworkers.

Virtual networking has become a convenient way to boost careers and widen professional circles. You can join online many groups that will broaden your perspective and introduce you to new people and opportunities.

It’s also crucial to keep up communications with non-work friends and family members. Being proactive about maintaining friendships and other relationships helps keep work-life balance in proportion.

Warning signs and sources of help.

A year of crisis and social upheaval forced an overdue national conversation about mental health—especially how it relates to a job. Mental health issues are now out in the open in the workplace, thanks to changing societal norms. Initiatives addressing employee wellbeing have become common at companies, as have expanded health and wellness benefits.

Still, not everyone can recognize a problem or seek help—for themselves or others. High stress levels and debilitating anxiety may manifest in several ways. For example, be aware of the signs of workplace fatigue, which, when ignored, can cause a rapid decline in health and mental wellbeing. While feelings of isolation and a lack of control are normal, some behaviors are indicative of a more serious condition:

• Physical signs, such as appearing fatigued, unkempt, and distracted
• Extreme reactions to minor hurdles or sudden use of hyperbolic language such as, "This is impossible" or "My career is over if…"
• An increase in mistakes, missed deadlines, and forgetfulness

There are resources available for employees undergoing challenges to their mental or physical health. If you are displaying any of the above or work with someone who is, reach out to find out what your employer offers through a trusted contact in management or anonymously. Some companies partner with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) specifically for that purpose.

The importance of finding joy in life and work

Joy seems like an extravagant thing to prioritize amid such widespread uncertainty and anxiety, but it's proven to be a formidable defense during a crisis. And the need for positivity and mental wellbeing is universal. Bringing a little bit of joy into your work and life has exponential, extremely practical benefits.

Visible, uninhibited joy is the very thing that can lift some of our collective unease during unsettled times. Even if your small display of exuberance does nothing more than shift your mindset a bit, it’s a start.

Joy can be personally transformative and contagious. Sharing some of your happiness can have powerful spillover effects while improving your physical and mental health.

Being able to maintain that delicate equilibrium—the healthy balance between seriousness and silliness, productivity and relaxation, solitude and togetherness, work and the other parts of your life— is an essential life tool. Finding this balance will sustain you through times of crisis and allow you to be fully present when times are good.

And when companies and their leadership prioritize and model work-life balance and play by its new rules, the benefits to employee productivity, retention, and engagement are immense. Foremost among them is building a resilient organization that can weather almost any crisis.

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