Creating Balance as a Remote Worker

Remote working has many positives, and it’s a no brainer why it appeals to many from all backgrounds and levels of experience. Whether you’re new to remote working or it has become your dedicated career style, it becomes quickly apparent that remote workers juggle multiple responsibilities.

Is it possible to create balance?

In a word, yes. However, work-life balance means different things to different people. So really, the first step in assessing a healthy, balanced lifestyle is defining what that looks like. What other factors do you need to incorporate that encompass your life?

Here’s a few considerations:

• Family: spouses, significant others, kids, people in your care. How many other schedules do you need to account for?
• Travel: are you remote working to stay at home or travel around?
• Productivity: which hours in the day are you most productive? Are you an early bird or a night owl?
• Values and Culture: where you live, what you believe and what you practice matters. 
• Health: do you want to create space for the gym, or long runs? Cooking and meal prepping? Mindfulness and meditation?

Okay, maybe after reading through that list and having a quick think through your responsibilities and desires, you’re beginning to doubt whether this whole ‘balanced lifestyle’ is even possible. This is something I speak regularly about with the virtual assistants that train through the ROCKET VA™ Academy because it is possible - but it's equally challenging, requires refining, and continued practice.  

And importantly, it’s so worth it. Finding and maintaining a sense of balance is key for productivity, mental health, and ultimately creating a fulfilling lifestyle. Let’s break this down into a few key ‘relationships’ that can help you to create meaningful balance as part of your remote working lifestyle.

Balancing Work and Personal Life

I’ll start with the most common - work and our personal lives. As this is the most common form of balance others speak about, it’s also the first to get blurred, distracted, and overwhelmed.

There are some quick and manageable actions you can take to begin establishing work and personal life balance.

1. Set boundaries - set and stick to clear work hours, and make your clients aware. 

• Setting working hours is hugely helpful for communicating and not working yourself into the ground. If your set hours are 9am-6pm, this is when main communication and tasks should take place, unless otherwise agreed with a client. These are your advertised times for work - now this doesn't mean you can’t open up your laptop early or catch up on work during a free evening or weekend, that’s up to you. Practice saying no when requests come outside of your hours. “I’m offline now, but I can look at this in the morning” goes a long way.

2. Have a dedicated workspace - if you’re working from home, this is really beneficial. 

• A home office is great, but a desk or table is also perfect. Incorporate setting up and clearing away if you’re using a shared space, such as a dining room table. 
• If you’re a travelling remote worker, do a little preemptive research and scope out cafes or hotels with Wi-Fi so you know you can get connected. 

3. Prioritise tasks - Focus on high-impact tasks to maintain productivity without overworking.

• Utilising tools such as Trello or Asana, Toggl, and Calendar apps help to manage tasks and prevent work from spilling into personal life.
• Add personal time blocks into your calendars and task managers! 

Think about the commitments you have (school runs, clubs, weekly activities, etc.) and how you can best incorporate your work around them.

Incorporating Travel into Your Work Life

A lot of people choose remote work in order to travel more freely. So whether you’re planning a mountainous adventure to Patagonia or a relaxing Bali trip, take some time to really manage and prepare what this will look like for your work. 

1. Plan Ahead: Schedule work around travel plans to ensure deadlines are met without compromising the travel experience. There are a few key details that can make or break the relationship between travel and work. Ensure you have Wi-Fi available, a quiet place for work, and the correct tech to be able to travel with.

• Top Tip: make sure any travel insurance covers your laptop, mobile, plus any other work-related assets.

2. Leverage Time Zones: Use differences in time zones to your advantage for meeting deadlines or catching up on tasks. Be a good communicator and let your clients know what time zone you’ll be in; plan meetings accordingly, don’t leave this until the last minute. Use your time zone to make an extra effort with those clients who you will be more in sync with. 

For example, if you’re normally in the UK, with clients in Australia - your Bali trip will bring you within a couple of hours versus 10+ hours apart. 

Nurturing Relationships and Social Connections

The ability to communicate effectively and nurture your closest relationships is so important. If you are remote working, building up a client base, incorporating travel, making time for friends, and/or have a family of your own, it’s natural that your attention will feel pulled in different directions. Share with others your values and what’s important to you.

Disclaimer: Not everyone will understand, and that’s okay. 

But keeping those lines of communication open will be a huge help. Let your nearest and dearest know when you’re entering busy phases of work. Schedule in social time. 

“I have such a busy couple of weeks ahead, but I’d love to meet up w/c XXX” goes a long way.

And if you find remote working a bit isolating (because it can be!), have a look at co-working spaces, in-person and online communities, local groups, etc. These are a great way to be around like-minded people and foster connections. 

Practising Mindfulness and Self-Care

There’s a reason so many businesses are putting money into mindfulness, self care, and healthy living for their employees - to improve employee experience and avoid burnout. People are “switched on” all the time; we have access to information 24/7 and this can be exhausting. 

So don’t skimp on your mental health and mindfulness. Create space and time to unwind. Here’s a few ways you can incorporate this into your days and weeks:

1. Daily Mindfulness Practices: Incorporate short mindfulness sessions, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, into your routine. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to start or end your day as well.
2. Physical Activity: Include regular exercise to keep both your body and mind healthy. Gym, long walks, yoga/pilates, swimming - anything that keeps you active and provides a good outlet for your body. 
3. Unplug Regularly: Remember that note about being “switched on” all the time? It’s good to actually switch off regularly. Try starting your day with a journal prompt or reading, instead of scrolling. Maybe incorporate a 2 hour window of devices off in the evening. 
4. Monitor Your Mental Health: Be mindful of stress levels and take action if you start feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. Listen to your body and mind.

Finding balance is personal, and it’s okay if you need to try different approaches to see what works best for you. It’s definitely not one-size-fits-all.

Take note on what feels good and what works/doesn't work. Some weeks will be harder than others, but each step towards your work and life of freedom deserves to be celebrated!

Here at The ROCKET VA™ Academy, we are committed to supporting our alumni students and community to prioritise their mental and physical health and create a good work and life balance.

To find out more about how you can become a Virtual Assistant and create balance in remote working, join our FREE 3-day Masterclass Live Series: Virtual Assistant in 90 Days.