8 Tips to Staying Sane While Working From Home

I haven’t had many jobs in my lifetime. I’ve been a soccer referee, a pottery studio assistant, a barista, and was hired for the briefest of brief stints as a sales rep (I don’t want to talk about it). And yet I’ve never held a position I didn’t dread the thought of clocking in for until now. Perhaps that’s because it’s full-time remote work, salaried, and doesn’t involve washing dishes or being yelled at by angry parents, but I searched so long and hard to get my current position, and I have been so content with it. For the most part…

Today though, was particularly frustrating. This week has been particularly frustrating, possibly because I’m finally getting close to a regular workload while still feeling like I only know how to do three things sufficiently.

Things are beginning to pick up speed, and I’m getting to that awkward threshold of people no longer thinking I’m new while still being so incredibly green. I know this feeling will pass or at least lessen as I get my feet underneath me and learn how to better deal with the challenges of my position, but for today it seems like I’m being presented with a mountain, not a molehill. 

How do you deal with the stress of a first job? Especially a remote one, sometimes I feel like I’ve been stranded on a desert island. My team is incredible, but these aren’t friends; this isn’t school or a part-time job in a coffee shop. There are consequences to falling behind and slacking, and all these pressures didn’t exist before. I had an exhausting weekend but come Monday morning, I can’t just skip class. I have meetings and real deadlines that affect real clients and my coworkers. 

So how do I learn to balance and stabilize myself in one of the most unstable periods of my life? I’m asking you because I don’t know. I have some ideas though: 

Before work:

Do something before work

I’m not going to lie friends; I suck at this. I am not a morning person and am not currently living out this particular tip; I only dream of one day achieving it. But in a perfect world where I am, in fact, capable of not only getting up on time but early! I would start my morning with a quick 10-minute yoga sesh, then make coffee and read poetry before sitting down at my desk for work.    

I feel like it would be beneficial to have a more substantial gap between rolling out of bed and throwing on a sweatshirt before logging on for the day. But hey, what do I know? Very little, it turns out, but someone knows, and according to Verywell Mind, getting up early helps you feel more productive and helps you set the tone for the day.

Most days, I feel like I’m always a couple of steps behind, and most of my time is spent playing catch-up. This leaves me more stressed and overwhelmed than necessary, and who would want to start their day like that? There’s never enough time, but there is time to fit in the things you enjoy if you prioritize it right. If only I could summon the willpower to wake up and start my mornings the way I want and enter work feeling more relaxed and more prepared to take the day’s tasks in stride.  

During work:

Take an actual lunch break 

Not a “working break”, a BREAK. Close your computer for 30 minutes, an hour, whatever you are allotted, and eat and decompress. Recharge before that midday slump hits. My go-to has been watching an episode of Suits, but now that it’s warming up, I think I will be transitioning to eating outside and reading a bit before returning to the ol’ ball and chain (AKA my laptop). 

Work from a coffee shop 

Trust me, I have tested this one very thoroughly and can confirm it will never fail. Not only does it get you out of the house, but you get caffeine! It’s a win-win. And sure, I know what you’re thinking, you can have perfectly good coffee at home and save money and blah blah blah. But there is just something about supporting my local coffee shop and working in a more dynamic environment that keeps my morale up during the day. 

And to sweeten the deal working from a coffee shop allows you to put on real clothes! Because while not having to go into the office does cut down on the stress of outfit planning, all of those cute clothes in my closet are wasting away from neglect, and I don’t know about you, but I get so bored rotating between the same three pairs of sweat pants week after week.  

Stretch regularly 

80% of Americans experience back pain at some point in life, and 29% of those people believe stress is one of the causes, according to The Good Body. For me, that point is now, and one of the things my physical therapist suggests is stretching at least once an hour. 

Work Standing up 

I have been waiting for a chance to plug my favorite podcast, 99% Invisible, and it looks like today is the day! 99PI is a podcast that explores seemingly mundane things we take for granted in our built environment, such as chairs. In episode 139: Edge of Your Seat, it is mentioned that “sitting is the new smoking”, and studies have indeed shown that our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is less than good for us. There are many creative non-sitting solutions; work standing up (I’m standing as I write this). If you’re remote, take your meetings on a walk, and if you must sit, consider some alternatives such as a stool or yoga ball. Just try and shake up your work area every once in a while, get a change of scenery, and maybe, just maybe, extend your life. 

After work: 

Resist the urge to nap! 

This one is particularly challenging sometimes. No matter how tempting my bed or the couch seems, napping always ruins the momentum of my day, and if I get off at 4 pm and nap till god knows when well, there’s my whole day. Work, unfortunately, eats up the majority of the day, so be intentional with your evenings; don’t let that free time go to waste. 

Work out or go for a walk

Get your body moving! If your job is anything like mine, I’m sitting at a computer all day, and most of my hobbies are writing-oriented, so that’s even more time at a desk. To break up all the sitting, I try and go to the rock climbing gym right after work. On the days I’m not climbing, I go on a walk around the neighborhood. Finding ways to get outside and out of the house helps boost my energy and mood during the week. I am not much of a homebody, and if I spend too much time confined indoors, I start to get a little stir crazy. And If I stay home, who will support all the coffee shops?!

Separation of work and state (home)

This one is important. Putting work away for the evening and making time to spend on passion projects or with family helps ensure there is a clear divide between work and life which can become hard to distinguish when they share the same domain. 

Remote work has its perks, but it certainly has its pitfalls as well. Working to maintain a healthy balance and remain motivated is easier said than done but well worth the effort. If you have to spend eight hours a day the rest of your life working, you might as well do everything you can to make it as enjoyable as possible.