Working from home is harder than it looks — here are 13 ways to keep yourself sane if you work remotely

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While working from home or getting to travel for work has obvious benefits, it isn’t all PJs and mid-day workout sessions.
In reality, working remotely requires discipline and can come with its share of loneliness.
Here are experts’ top tips for keeping yourself sane if you work remotely.
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More than 40% of Americans work remotely for at least part of the year, according to a recent poll.

And whether they’re freelancing from home or traveling across the country for their job, remote workers are expected to make up more than half of the US workforce by 2027, according to one recent report.

While working from home or getting to travel has obvious benefits, from the lack of a dress code to the ability to save money on commuting, working remotely isn’t all PJs and mid-day workout sessions.

In reality, working remotely requires discipline and can come with its share of loneliness.

We reached out to several professionals who work remotely to get their firsthand insight on how they manage to stay afloat in their unique work setups.

Here are their top tips to keeping yourself sane if you work remotely.

Have a dedicated work space

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"Running a real estate brokerage in Miami, there are certainly a lot of distractions that can take you away from work," Mikael Hamaoui, president at Riviera Horizons Realty, told Business Insider.

"I have a dedicated area in my home that is for work only. I think it’s critical to separate work from personal or it’s too easy to find yourself on the couch watching TV. It’s imperative that anyone working from home create a dedicated work space that is free of distractions so you can stay in work mode even when you’re at home — and try not to go to your home office outside of working hours and vice versa to really keep that separation."

Take breaks that involve social interactions

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"I’ve found it key to take breaks during the day and have some sort of social interaction," Susan Davis, a sales director, told Business Insider.

"On days where I stay inside the whole day for work calls and activities, I find it hard to adjust to social interactions after work. I’m most productive if I take breaks, even if it’s just taking a break to walk to my favorite coffee shop where I know the baristas. I’m always happier at the end of the day if I had some sort of social interaction."

Don’t eat lunch — or dinner — at your desk

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"Take lunch breaks and avoid the urge to eat at your desk," Davis said. "Even if you’re eating alone, make it special. Eat at a table and eat mindfully." It’s important to remember that we function better when we make nutrition and mental well-being a priority.

Hamaoui echoed this sentiment. "Getting out of the house is really big: you have to do things outside of the house; you can’t just transition from a full day of work at home, to then right back home when you’re done with work — get out of the house and schedule after-work drinks or dinners."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Sharon Feiereisen)