Remote Work Guide: Best Tips to Strike a Balance between Work and Leisure in 2023

by Kelsey Arrington on Mar 14, 2023

Remote and hybrid work opportunities have been on the rise for the last few years. And while this has led to many innovations in the work environment, it has also made it increasingly challenging for many folks to draw the line between work and personal time. So, it’s no surprise that finding a balance between work and leisure is a top priority for many remote and hybrid employees around the world. After all, striking a healthy work-life balance is essential – which is why we wrote this article. Below, we will review some of the best tips and strategies to help folks define the boundaries between work and leisure time in 2023. With these best practices, individuals can be productive while also taking care of their personal well-being. 

In this post:

• Essential Work-Life Balance Tips for Remote & Hybrid Employees
• Best Practices for Remote & Hybrid Employees Experiencing Burnout
• Top Strategies to Strike a Balance between Productivity & Peace of Mind
• Best Books to Read About Working Remotely 

Essential Work-Life Balance Tips for Remote & Hybrid Employees

If you’re a remote worker or hybrid employee, surely you know the joys and challenges working from home brings. While working remotely can be a rather joyous experience, many professionals find it hard to strike a good work-life balance that allows them to tend to their physical and mental health – which is why we’ve put together this list. Below you’ll find some essential tips to help you balance your work and personal life. 

• Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. Create a work schedule that aligns with your employer’s expectations and allows you adequate time to tend to your well-being. Communicate your boundaries with family members or roommates to ensure that you can stay productive during working hours. Likewise, communicate the importance of your free time to your colleagues by setting status updates on team communication platforms such as Slack or putting notes on your calendar when you’ll be out of the office.
• Designate a specific workstation. Having a dedicated workspace can be essential to your peace of mind as it allows you to create a physical separation between work and personal time. Reinforce this concept by focusing on your tasks while in this area and exiting the space for breaks, lunch, and leisure time.
• Manage your workload effectively. Take a long hard look at your tasks and evaluate ways to be more efficient. Can you save time by automating certain tasks? Do you work best when you’re able to schedule things in advance? Figure out the ways you work best then approach your workload from that perspective. Just be sure to communicate your work process to your supervisors if it’s anything too unorthodox. 
• Communicate concerns and needs to employers. Talk to your supervisor if you fear that you’re feeling creative burnout or that you can’t handle your current workload. Work with them to come up with a strategy that empowers you to complete your tasks while also taking time to recharge and enjoy your personal life. This may include implementing new project management tools, having weekly video calls to check in on a project’s progress, or other solutions the two of you come up with together. 
• Disconnect after work. Carve out time in your schedule to disconnect from the computer and all forms of technology for a while. Remote work demands that folks interact with computers for extended periods of time. So, one way to recharge as a remote employee can be to disconnect from technology for an hour or two. This can include putting away your phone, turning off your tv and laptops, and enjoying a walk in the park or reading a book instead.
• Prioritize self-care. After the work day is complete, take care of yourself instead of focusing on work that you didn’t finish. Make a list of tasks you want to accomplish, leave it in your dedicated workstation, and then proceed to spend time with your family, run errands, complete household chores or whatever else you want to do. Remember, working from home doesn’t mean you have to overwork. And overworking often leads to a decline in the quality produced. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance will make you happier and more productive when you’re on the clock. 
• Set realistic expectations. Understand that the lines between work and personal life will be blurred from time to time. However, achieving a work-life balance is possible. It just won’t happen one hundred percent of the time. There will be days when projects run late and weeks when you have to put in a little extra time to impress a client or supervisor. But with the right tools and boundaries, a balance can be achieved most days. 

Best Practices for Remote & Hybrid Employees Experiencing Burnout

Burnout can have a serious impact on remote and hybrid employees, affecting their personal lives as well as their productivity and job performance. And it’s clear why. After all, burnout can lead to feelings of exhaustion and disengagement from work, which can negatively impact one’s overall job satisfaction. 

Remote and hybrid workers face unique work conditions that put them at risk of burnout, such as social isolation, difficulty disconnecting from work, and a lack of boundaries between personal and work times. So, it is essential for both remote and hybrid employees to adopt strategies to prevent burnout, such as setting boundaries, taking breaks, and seeking assistance when needed. But that’s not all you can do. 

Here are some best practices to implement if you fear that you are experiencing burnout: 

1. Look for the warning signs. Have you been feeling exhausted, overly cynical, or disengaged from work? Examine your feelings and take action to address them. The sooner you deal with it, the sooner you can return to feeling connected and motivated.
2. Seek performance feedback. If you’ve been feeling a little off your game, ask your colleagues how they feel. Hearing other folks’ perspectives might give you the insight you need. Remote work is often done in a silo, so seeking feedback from team members or supervisors can help you during times of burnout or anytime you’re seeking to improve your work. 
3. Pursue new skills. Learning new skills and exploring new opportunities could just be the solution to cure your burnout. After all, many folks experiencing burnout just need a moment to recharge. Engaging in new hobbies or learning experiences outside of the workplace can give you the opportunity to recharge and expand your skillset at the same time. 
4. Build a support network. Connect with colleagues, friends, family members, and folks in online communities that you’re a part of. During times of burnout, you may feel disconnected from others. Combat that feeling by leaning into the connections you’ve built throughout your career and life. 
5. Take time off. Take the folks in HR to see how many hours of PTO you have available and then schedule some time off. Communicate with your supervisor and connect with colleagues to hand off assignments ahead of your vacation. Then, unplug and relax. Taking time off can work wonders for those who are rapidly approaching burnout. 

Top Strategies to Strike a Balance between Productivity & Peace of Mind

Even if you’re not experiencing burnout, you may still need tips to strike a balance between productivity and peace of mind. Keep reading to find practical strategies that you can implement today.

• Prioritize tasks. Make a to-do list and arrange your list of tasks according to urgency. Then schedule specific times to complete each task. This way, you can avoid multitasking if it makes you feel overwhelmed. Remember, the goal is to get your work done in an efficient manner, not to increase your stress levels. So, tackle your work in a way that works for you. 
• Delegate tasks when possible. Identify tasks on your to-do list that your need assistance with or that can be delegated to others. Crossing things off your task lists will surely help you feel more in control and less stressed during the work week. 
• Take breaks throughout the day. In addition to taking a short lunch break to nourish your body, make sure you are taking breaks to stretch, blink your eyes, and get a sip of water. Taking short breaks can help you decrease stress and improve focus when you return to your tasks. 
• Practice mindfulness. Try yoga, stretching, meditation, and mindfulness techniques to equip yourself with tools that help you de-stress.
• Prioritize rest and rejuvenation. During the work week, make sure you are getting enough sleep. And when you can, take time off to recharge and focus on your personal life. This will help to increase productivity and decrease your stress levels in the long run. 

Important Disclaimer: This blog post may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Best Books to Read About Working Remotely 

After work or during your time off, find ways to improve your approach to remote work. The more you refine your routines and strategies, the better equipped you will be to handle burnout. Here are some books that may help you as you reflect on and refine your remote workflow.

The Burnout Fix: Overcome Overwhelm, Beat Busy, and Sustain Success in the New World of Work by Dr. Jacinta M Jimenez

If you need burnout tips from top professionals, turn to this text by Dr. Jacinta M. Jimenez, a licensed and award-winning psychologist and leadership coach. In this book, The Burnout Fix, Dr. Jimenez teaches readers how to build resilience in today’s fast-paced world and workforce. Filled with tools and strategies folks can implement quickly, it is an essential text for employees, team leaders, supervisors, and HR professionals alike.

Remote Not Distant: Design a Company Culture That Will Help You Thrive in a Hybrid Workplace by Gustavo Razzetti

If you’re looking for ways to contribute to a thriving company culture or build one alongside your colleagues, this is the book for you. In this text, Remote Note Distant, Gustavo Razzetti reviews core concepts concerning how to become a successful remote leader, how to shift your mindset to benefit the workplace culture, and how to collaborate on remote and hybrid teams.

Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being and Resilience by Paula Davis

When you work on a remote team, it can be easy to forget that you and your colleagues are all in this together. However, this research-backed text by Paula Davis serves as a wonderful reminder of the power of teamwork. In this book, Davis shared stories from her experiences as a coach and teacher, as well as her experiences with burnout during her law career. Through the stories and insights shared, Davis brings awareness to how professionals get burnout and the steps they can take to prevent that from happening.

Wellbeing at Work by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter

On remote and hybrid teams, it’s important for managers and team leaders to support employees and their well-being. But that’s much easier said than done. The good news is that texts like Wellbeing at Work by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter offer insights that can help supervisors and employees find the best strategies to strike a healthy work-life balance.

From Burnout to Purpose: Simple Strategies for a Soul-Fulfilling Approach to Work by Gina S. Calvano

Feeling exhausted and unmotivated? You may need to read this book by Gina S. Calvano called From Burnout to Purpose. It’s all about bridging the gap between our needs and our obligations and preventing burnout from getting too bad. So, if you’re up for strategies that promote self-care and ways to restore your interest in your career, pick up this book.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that remote and hybrid work opportunities are here to stay. So, we all have to do our part to adjust to the ever-changing work environment and take care of ourselves simultaneously. It’s not always easy but when we’re equipped with the right tools and techniques, we can find the perfect balance between work and leisure.