In recent years, and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become increasingly popular. With technological advancements, many companies, including ShareBuilders, are now offering their employees the option to work from home. While working remotely can provide many benefits, such as flexibility and convenience, it can also pose some challenges when balancing work and personal life.

When working from home, separating your work time from your personal time can be difficult. This can lead to overworking and burnout, as well as feeling like you are always "on call" for work. To avoid this, we have found it is essential to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. This may mean setting and sticking to specific work hours, creating a designated workspace separate from your living space, and avoiding checking work emails or messages outside of work hours.

Another challenge of working remotely is the lack of social interaction and the feeling of isolation. When working in an office, you can interact with colleagues and build relationships with them. This can help to boost morale and improve productivity. However, when working remotely, it can be easy to feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of your team. To combat this, it is crucial to make an effort to stay connected with your colleagues. Here at ShareBuilders, we implemented voluntary virtual coffee breaks with colleagues and a virtual Happy Hour once every month. Even just chatting with colleagues via instant messaging throughout the day is a great way to stay in touch with one another. Taking breaks throughout the day is also important to recharge and socialize with others. This could include walking at a park, meeting others in the area for lunch, or simply taking a break to call a loved one.

Another key factor in balancing work and remote work is time management. When working from home, it can be easy to become distracted by household chores, social media, or other non-work-related activities. To avoid this, setting clear goals and prioritizing your work tasks is important. One helpful strategy for managing time is the Pomodoro technique, which involves breaking your workday into 25-minute intervals, with short breaks in between. During each interval, you focus on one task and work on it until the timer goes off. This can help to improve productivity and prevent distractions.

Finally, it is important to take care of yourself when working remotely. This means prioritizing your physical and mental health, as well as your work-life balance. This may mean setting aside time each day for exercise, meditation, or other self-care activities. Or, it could be something as simple as stepping away from your computer for a few minutes to stretch or meditate, engaging in a hobby, or for those of us with pets, a quick walk around the neighborhood.

Working remotely can offer many benefits but poses some challenges when balancing work and personal life. To succeed in remote work, it is important to establish clear boundaries, stay connected with colleagues, manage your time effectively, take breaks to recharge and prioritize your physical and mental health. By doing so, you can enjoy the flexibility and convenience of remote work while also maintaining a healthy work-life balance.