The adoption of remote work has been a blessing for diversity & inclusion efforts and productivity across the board, with employee wellbeing being a key benefit for many. Work-life balance has never been better, but it raises an important question: if you work from home, where does home begin and work end?
Remote work introduces some interesting problems in exchange for its many benefits, from doing nothing to alleviate the sedentary experience of office work to changing our relationship to the space around us. Below, I have outlined some challenges of remote working, as well as ways to overcome them – solutions from my own experience that are designed to take advantage of working from home.
1. Workspace and Homespace
The importance of a home office has been a point of discussion ever since remote working was adopted more widely – Dawid Balut argues his case well when discussing his experience (1). However, a dedicated room is often unavailable, particularly for parents or residents in a one-two bedroom abode. A desk and laptop are often all that is needed, but some simple steps can be taken to help separate worklife from homelife:
- Avoid using a bedroom, as this can impact your relationship with your place of rest.
- A collapsible setup can be useful for maximising space outside of work hours, and doubles as a ‘morning commute’, getting you mentally prepared for the day ahead.
- Ensure that your space is well ventilated and open, as a comfortable workspace is key to maximise performance without distraction.
2. Movement & Wellbeing
Being stuck at a desk all day is famously bad for your posture, but being at home provides unique opportunities to encourage activity and keep your body – and in turn, your mind – happy and healthy:
- Morning mobility: The lack of a commute provides some extra time to get your body moving. A simple yoga flow can remove kinks from your body and boost your mood before clocking in.
- Standing desks and under-desk treadmills: These items provide low-intensity movement throughout the day, keeping your blood flowing and posture in check.
- Utilising the outdoors: Working from home provides unique opportunities such as taking calls whilst on walks, utilising noise-cancelling equipment to maximise clarity.
3. Overworking
Productivity increases from home, sometimes to the detriment of the worker. It can be harder to switch off, adding strain to the work-life balance that remote work usually enhances. Burnout reduces productivity in the long term (2), and as such it is in your best interest to prevent burnout before it happens:
- Schedule strictly: Once the working hours are done, you are done. Holding yourself accountable is tricky, so ask those around you to help enforce those timetables.
- Schedule holistically: Adding a planned activity/event after your shift can help with the transition to rest, and help reduce the temptation of overworking.
Whilst far from an exhaustive list, hopefully this advice proves useful to you or one of your employees. With remote work thankfully seeming permanent, it is important to reap all of its benefits and look after oneself within the separate domains of work and the home.
Mandated office working looms as a threat to DEI (3), with employers increasingly adopting an in-office model (4). As such, flexible working needs championing now more than ever. By addressing its fixable issues, remote working can continue to thrive and benefit both employees and employers alike.
Sources:
1 David Balut. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effective-remote-work-you-need-separate-office-space-dawid-balut/
2 Liz Elting. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizelting/2025/02/12/burnout-kills-productivity-heres-how-to-fight-it-and-stop-overwork-from-hurting-employee-engagement/
3 Reena S. Available at: https://unvaeld.com/the-cost-of-calling-your-employees-back-to-the-office/
4 ONS. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/whoarethehybridworkers/2024-11-11
