Creating healthy remote work places

Technology has unlocked the possibility for us to work from anywhere and at anytime. Free from the confinement of the office I can look after my online business while on holiday, answer messages from the supermarket car park, keep up to date with developments on projects.

We are Liberated.......and yet for many it doesn't feel that way.

I know people who haven't been able to cope with remote working. Usually they can be found in their pyjamas suffering from aches and pains caused by hunching over a laptop balanced on the sofa in a dimly lit room. Surrounded by empty take away cartons and without contact with another human being for days, this lack of structure and social isolation is a fast track to anxiety and depression.

Work is so vital to mental health for the sense of purpose and belonging it provides. 

But what is work?

When you become a remote worker, work is no longer the place you go to. Work becomes your output. 

Think about a typical day at work, nobody sits before a screen for 8 solid hours without interruption. We chat to team mates, we nip to the canteen, we pause to socialise in corridors, we have impromptu meetings about a new idea or project.

I doubt many people ask themselves "am I working enough"? Yet in the remote world no one can see how hard you are working and we feel the need to prove ourselves.

Overworking is common. Now that work is no longer contained to a specific time and place, how do we know when to say I've done enough? To prevent burnout it's important to have clearly defined goals.

Being alert to signs of stress

These are testing times, we all have days when our mental health is shot at.

In the office environment we would be alert to changes in behaviour, Leaders, now more than ever, emotional intelligence competence and powers of observation must be on high alert for you to be extra sensitive to changes in working habits.

Pause, think, be congruent, consider your judgement. Act and behave in ways that signal to people that whatever their personal situation work life balance is fundamental to well being.

It’s easy to fall into a cycle of eat, sleep, work without seeing other humans, be visible, be available to others. 

So how do we create mentally healthy remote work environments?

Ensure that consistent effort is made in the following areas to create opportunities for collaboration by design and not by accident::

• Encourage people to set boundaries with colleagues, clients and family members. 
• Open a dedicated chat line where people can vent their frustrations on difficult days
• It’s easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle so encourage walking, exposure to daylight and fresh air, provide people with links to apps to enable them to count their steps, get competitive.
• Provide information, access to apps, links to recipe's, apps that promote self-awareness, mindful behaviour, self indulgent time allowing workers to make healthy choices for themselves
• Create virtual coffee shops where remote workers can go for time out without worrying that they’re wasting others' time?
• Set up a book club - enable Kindle book sharing functions