Confessions of a Remote Workaholic 10 Work

Confessions of a Remote Workaholic 10 WorkIts funny how a small question can draw attention to a big problem. Last week, our CEO, Milena, asked me point blank, How is your work-life balance? I stammered, then blurted out a list of things I do on the regular to tilt the scales heavily toward the work side.PowerToFly was founded to help women achieve their desired work-life balance. Even though it is a fast-paced startup, and though I am a responsibility-hoarding Product Manager, and though I have chided myself for elend leaving my apartment building for days at a stretch, I never realized I was the one who had to take ownership of enforcing the boundaries. Even more so because I work remotely.If I were a stock photo, would this be me?(source)Make no mistake I love what I do, which is why I tend to rack up the hours. But I also love my friends, family, hobbies, and well-being. Its not a Harry Potter/Voldemort situation here though. I feel most fulfilled when everything is in sync.Here are the ten actions Im taking to recalibrate.1. Enforce workinghoursWorking remotely allows the flexibility to squeeze in personal time during the workday, but Ive also let work permeate every crevasse of my personal space. When I was in school, I always felt homework looming over my head. I couldnt be anywhere in my home without feeling the guilt of not tending to it, even if it was already done I often procrastinate or work less efficiently because I feel like I have unlimited work time. Most days, this lack of boundaries has me replying to JIRA tickets right before bed Not good.If youre having work-life balance problems like I am, sometimes you have to pull back and put yourself on a stricter schedule with your business hours. My day starts with an 8am standup, so Im going to call it quits no later than 6pm, ideally by 530. This will force me to prioritize harder and work smarter during the contiguous hours I have available. And by making post-work hours a safe time at home, I ca n relax once I stop for the day.2. Put away work stuff afterworkOut of sight, out of mind. Im more likely to get sucked back into work if I spot my Moleskine lying in plain view on the dining table. And when I open my computer, even just to go onto Facebook, any open Google Doc tabs will beckon me to pick up where I left off.Work email, to do list, looking at sneakers on Zappos, Confluence whose day is it,anyway?So Im going to close up shop for the day (or weekend), physically and digitally. Ill pack up my work stuff and put it neatly in a corner. Ill close all work-related tabs in Chrome. Ill also turn off notifications Ill sign out of Skype and put Slack on snooze (which can always be overridden by colleagues in an emergency) before closing it, too.3. Timebox weekendtoilSometimes urgent matters come up, so there has to be a way of differentiating between a legitimate need for extra hours and a needless encroachment on my weekend. Therefore, Ive resolved to work on the weekend only if the following criteria are met It cant be delegated Other people depend on it to be done by Monday It cant wait until next weekIf I do decide to work on the weekend, Ill set an upper limit on the number of hours Im willing to put in, and stop when Ive reached it. And if I find myself working more than one weekend day a month, Ill raise a flag with my manager.4. Separate commingled work and personal applicationsThe boundary between work and your personal life can start to blur if you manage both with the same technology. Luckily Ive avoided combining my work and personal gmail and Google Apps, but I do have one big culprit my to-do list. I am a huge believer in TeuxDeux and had been using it long before I joined PowerToFly. But when I joined the team, I just added all my work tasks, separated from personal by a heading called Work. Heres an example (except add 15 more tasks for a typical day)Should I write my opportunity assessment or have a cup ofcoffee?What this means is when I m in work mode, Im looking at personal to-dos, and when Im on my own time, my work to-dos are mucksmuschenstill staring me in the face So Im going to untangle my commingled accounts pronto, and never look back.5. Get *more*dressedI dont stay in pajamas all day, but I do love to work in yoga crops and sweatshirts I only wear around the house. Problem is, if I dont feel like Im presentable enough to leave the house, I probably wont. But on days I dress to go out, I feel better and more in work mode.Comfy leggings be damned??every day, Ill get dressed to the point where Id be willing to leave the house in my present state. Ill save the track pants for quitting time.6. Get out of the house(duh)This is an obvious one. But I live in a building with a gym and cook my meals at home, so it can be easy to come up with an excuse not to go out, especially on an overcast winter day. But not leaving the house can drive you nuts just look at Jack Nicholson in The Shining.All work and no play this movie was a cautionary tale for remoteworkersIm setting a rule to leave the house for at least an hour a day on weekdays (and as much as I can on weekends).7. Work *away* fromhomeDespite what the Fifth Harmony song says, theres a lot of ways to work from home without working in your home. I used to cowork, but recently canceled my membership. I lauded myself for saving money, but in exchange, I need to care more about my mental health, and for me that means not freaking out about spending money to work from coffee shops, even if a soy latte costs $5.Ill schedule transit times in my schedule to go to and from a coffee shop on days when I dont have a lot of meetings. I can get out of the house and work at the same time, even if its only for a few hours.8. Schedule lunch breaksincluding awalkOn days I dont power through lunch, I just make a quick meal, eat it, and get immediately back to the grind. But Im literally wasting my federally mandated paid half-hour offIm going to schedule a proper lunch break every day, and after I eat, go for a postprandial stroll. Itll clear my head and help me come up with even better ideas.9. Look for opportunities to do walkingmeetingsUsually the computer is required for meetings, but even if one in ten can be taken via phone (every app we use can handle this??GoToMeeting, Skype, or Slack), I can kill two birds with one stone and get some fresh air while I walk. Id be in good company walking meetings have been an asset to historys greatest minds, from Socrates to Steve Jobs.Ill look in my schedule for meetings for which Im just listening in, dont need to take notes, or wont need to reference visual aides??and use those as opportunities to take a walk instead of staying put.10. Stand up everyhourThe last one is super simple stand up more??every hour??and stretttttttttch This is especially important toward the end of the day. I cant say how many times I glance up at the clock to realize Ive been glued to my chair for hours Theres ev en an app to help establish this habit Time Out. You can set the frequency and duration of the breaks, the opacity of the screen, and even what song youd like to hear. If youre in a meeting, you can always snooze or skip it.While Im taking my stretch, Im also going to drink water Its hard to stay hydrated when youre hyperfocused on a screen, but dehydration can be as bad for your efficiency (and health) as lack of sleep.And there you have it Ten steps Im taking over the next few months to keep my work time efficient and my personal time personal. Ill check in come spring to let you know how Ive done, and you can keep score for yourself, too. By the next time I write, I hope to be flipping like Simone Biles along the work-life balance beam Aki Merced