Guest Article by Elijah Dawson
Although working remotely can seem like a walk in the park, it can actually be quite a challenge to stay disciplined when it comes to attaining the ideal work-life balance whilst taking care of yourself in the process. So if you are determined to perform at your best when working remotely, here is some helpful advice:
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A healthy, balanced diet is important
It can be tempting to fall into the habit of grabbing whatever is in the pantry for a quick bite without being fully aware of what you’re eating and whether it is healthy or not. However, if you want to be able to function and focus at your best it is essential that you make the effort to eat healthily instead of opting for the convenience of junk food or fast food to give you that short-term energy burst that you’re looking for.
Fitness is also important
Because we may not feel the need to exercise because we’re home-based doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be making as much of an effort in this area. Fitting in a bit of exercise into your work-from-home schedule is perhaps even more essential if you want to avoid leading too much of a sedentary lifestyle because you spend so much time at your desk every day. Moreover, incorporating exercise into your busy day could be as easy as standing at your desk for a small portion of the day instead of sitting all throughout the day. Or you may have to be diligent about taking regular breaks to get out and stretch your legs every so often.
Set boundaries
Working from home may make it difficult to establish boundaries especially if you feel like there’s no real cut-off time during your workday as you would probably do when clocking off for work at a conventional-type office; hence, why it is absolutely vital that you do put those boundaries in place so that your work life and your home life stay separate as they should be.
Take care of your office space
Perhaps it's your home office (or its lack of organization) that is causing you to feel overwhelmed the majority of the time. Then you should most definitely be taking the requisite steps to rectify this if your home office is feeling more out of balance than a calm and relaxing space where you can work efficiently. For example, you may need to improve your organizational skills by having a digital storage system for all your important records instead of trying to organize your paperwork which can be tedious and time-consuming if left until the last minute. Or perhaps you need to invest in the most up-to-date technology to ensure that your work is more streamlined and methodical so that you can work stress-free without having to worry about system malfunctions or systems that take longer than average to process important work.
Follow a schedule
Working remotely may also mean sticking to a stricter schedule to avoid tasks piling up so that they become unmanageable and cause you more stress at the end of the day. So, make use of project management apps if you must if you find it a challenge to complete tasks within a specific timeline as this will likely speed up your day so that you can accomplish all that you planned to.
Thinking Long Term
One of the biggest benefits of working remotely is that it gives you the time and freedom to plan your next move. What do you want to be doing a year from now? What about five years? If you think a career change might be in order, take advantage of free resume templates to highlight your ever-growing skills and experience in the best way possible. What about going into business for yourself, or starting a side hustle to supplement your remote work? Either way, these are opportunities you can consider when you’re taking full advantage of the flexibility afforded by your situation.
Remember that if you have the privilege of working remotely that you also have the privilege of taking care of yourself better so that you can enjoy the perks of working from home to the fullest.