Working from home

Working virtually

Some of us enjoy working virtually, while others prefer working in the workplace. Regardless of your preference, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that virtual work brings. Here are a few common challenges:

• Maintaining personal and professional boundaries
• Work-life balance
• Screen fatigue
• Isolation 

Taking care of your well-being is just as important as getting your work done – when you’re at our best, so is your work!

What can you do? 

Try any of the tips below to support your well-being while working virtually.

Maintain boundaries

Boundaries are important when working virtually, especially if working from home. Boundaries help you maintain work-life balance, establish a routine and can help prevent burnout. 

• Establish what works for you, while also ensuring it supports you to do your job successfully.
• Communicate your boundaries openly and continuously. 
• Create a dedicated workspace in your home that offers minimal distractions, if possible. Avoid the space where you sleep if you can.  
• Turn off work email or phone notifications when your workday is finished. Understand the expectations of your employer and consider offering a backup contact if your role requires it. 
• You can provide your team with a way to contact you in an emergency. 

For more on this topic, see Setting healthy boundaries at work.

Establish a routine

Once you’ve set your boundaries, you can create a routine more easily. Establishing a workday routine helps keep you energized and motivated.

• Start each day with a healthy activity like:
  • Stretching
  • Journaling
  • Meditation
  • Eating a nutritional breakfast
• Each evening or morning, write out or review your daily to-do list. This helps you be prepared and organized. Some also like to make a higher-level weekly to-do list. Watch that you don’t fill your list with professional obligations. Make time and space for personal pursuits that contribute to your well-being, like hobbies, time with friends and relaxation.
• Schedule breaks and meals in your calendar for both you and your colleagues to see.
• Clean your work area when work is done so you aren’t staring at it while trying to relax.
• Do something to mark the end of the workday – go for a walk, change your clothes or sit on the porch or balcony.
• Exercise to help improve your physical and mental health.       
• Sleep, sleep, sleep! It’s so important to ensure you’re getting enough regular sleep. For sleep hygiene tips, see Making Sleep Count – Active Steps.

Find motivation and energy

It can be hard to self-motivate, especially when there’s no one else around to help. If you’re having difficulty finding motivation, try any of the following tips:

• Write to-do lists (daily, weekly, monthly).
• Set 3 priorities each day and cross them off as you complete them – this can be so satisfying!
• Set alarms to remind yourself to get up and move your body or drink a glass of water.
• Set weekly goals and track your progress.
• Find an accountability buddy to check in with – this also helps prevent isolation and maintain connection.
• Stick to your total work hours! Some days will be busier than others but finding time to slow down can be important to sustaining yourself and your well-being. 
• Try to flex your work to the times when you have the greatest focus. Some people may find early morning, before the rest of the family is awake, is best for them. Others may find evenings provide uninterrupted concentration. You may find going for a walk or to the gym in the early afternoon helps you stay more productive the rest of the time. If you have the luxury of flexing your time, make it work for you.
• Block time on your calendar for work that requires your full concentration. This allows those with access to your calendar to understand you’re not available for calls or emails. More importantly, it allows you to manage your time more effectively.

Manage video meeting stress

Screen fatigue can be a real stressor. It’s exhausting to be constantly in video calls. When you can’t avoid video meetings, consider what makes you feel most comfortable:

• Integrate more phone calls into your day to cut back on screen time. 
  • This allows more flexibility for walking and talking, which can help reduce video fatigue and eliminate video anxiety. 
• Where possible schedule breaks between video meetings. If you can’t, consider turning off your camera and microphone to stretch for a minute or 2 while you listen.
• Keep virtual meetings to one hour or less when you can. If the meeting will take longer, you may want to include a 5-minute break or have more one-hour meetings spaced apart.
• Have water to drink.
• Keep tissues, cough drops and water close by to reduce stress if you’re afraid of coughing.
• Have an app or a pen and paper to take quick notes.
• Use a virtual background so you don’t have to worry about who or what comes into view.
• Use headphones to help drown out unavoidable background noises. 
• Keep your temperature comfortable by having a wrap or blanket to warm you or a fan to cool you. 
• Remember that you can mute.
• Remember you can turn off your camera.

Seek collaboration opportunities

Virtual work can sometimes feel isolating, especially when you’re used to being in a workplace surrounded by people. Creating virtual spaces to collaborate and communicate – even informally – can help to prevent feelings of isolation. 

• If you miss having a coffee break with your colleagues, consider jumping on a short call while you go for a walk or enjoy your break time. 
• Schedule personal calls or visits to catch up with colleagues outside of work.
• You may miss bouncing ideas off others in the office while working on a project. Try creating an online discussion board or hosting a mind-mapping session with your colleagues. Finding different ways to maintain engagement and encourage collaboration is positive for everyone. Switching up your usual focuses to collaborate with others can spark creativity and give you a new ounce of motivation.

Working with children

Working with young children at home can be especially distracting. By anticipating your children’s needs, you can reduce the interruptions to your day. For example: 

• Establish guidelines for common requests from children old enough to understand. Post the guidelines so there’s no dispute about what was agreed. Here are some examples:
  • Snacks they’re allowed to get for themselves
  • When they can watch television or play on a device
  • When homework is to be done
• Have appropriate activities to keep your children engaged. Hold onto them until your children are bored or asking for something to do. This novelty is likely to be more interesting than a box full of toys they can access anytime. 
• Have a variety of healthy snacks available to tide them over until mealtime. 
• Consider using a hands-free carrier for babies so you can keep them close to you while working. 
• Playing calming music may help soothe and relax children.
• Consider taking multiple short breaks throughout the day to connect with your children. This may be giving them a hug or asking if there’s anything they need.
• Schedule your more complex tasks for when your children are sleeping. Spend time with them when they’re awake.
• When your children need something, give them your full attention rather than trying to get them to wait patiently. Addressing their request promptly, even if it’s to say no, will often take less of your time than dealing with constant interruptions while they wait. 
  
  • Author, Barbara Coloroso suggested this response for those times you can’t make a snap decision – “If you need an answer now, it’s no. If you can wait for 2 hours, I’ll consider it.”

Share this with anyone who works from home. Especially those with children.

Additional resources

• Independent professionals. Independent professionals include those who are self-employed, working from home or remotely, or often working in isolation. While working in isolation could be either a choice or necessity, it may present unique challenges to physical, mental and professional well-being.
• Work-life balance tips. Balancing your work and personal life can be challenging and stressful at times. These tips and strategies can help.
• Energizing break activities. Energizing break activities can help improve your sense of well-being, focus and productivity.
• Calming break activities. Calming break activities can help release stress and improve your concentration.
• Relaxing break activities. Taking a break to relax can improve physical and mental capacities and reduce stress at work.