Before remote work existed, people would drive to work, clock in at their offices, clock out at the end of the day, drive home, and then relax at home. Their brains associated their homes with their personal time and relaxation, and they had plenty of time to destress and unwind after a long day either at the office or on the drive home.
Yeah, remote workers can’t really do that. Our homes are our offices. When we clock out of work, there isn’t a time gap to unwind or decompress before arriving home, and sometimes, it can be extremely difficult to shift our minds from work-brain to personal-brain. Not having the time or ability to decompress can lead to high stress, burnout, and disagreeableness in general, but not to fear. This fate won’t befall you; I’ve written down all my best techniques that explain how to unwind after working from home. All jokes aside, I have worked remotely almost my entire career, and these techniques have gone a long way towards helping me feel calm, relaxed, and actually at home after clocking out, and I hope they will do the same for you!
Quick-Glance Summary
- Maintain on-the-clock and off-the-clock boundaries
- Designate an area for working and a separate area for relaxing
- Relax your body with movement, such as yoga, pilates, and other workouts
- Calm your mind with meditation, hobbies, music, and connecting with loved ones
- Move your remote office to a place other than your home on occasion
- Everyone is different, so the key is to find what is relaxing for you
Set (and Maintain) On-the-Clock and Off-the-Clock Boundaries
If you feel like you are always on the clock, it might be because you actually are. Remote work is amazing, but on occasion, employers forget that just because employees work from home doesn’t mean that the company has 24/7 access to them. Most remote professionals have set working hours, and if you aren’t on the clock, you shouldn’t be working or even thinking about work! One of the best ways to ensure that you can actually relax after you clock out is maintaining on-the-clock and off-the-clock boundaries. When you are off-the-clock, turn off notifications, close your work laptops, don’t check work emails, and leave all work-related activities for working hours only.
Create a Space for Working and a Separate Space for Relaxing
When I had an office bedroom, I couldn’t figure out why I had so much trouble sleeping and relaxing even after I had clocked out of work. Turns out, my brain had started associating my bedroom with work instead of rest and relaxation. About a week after I moved my office into a separate room, I was sleeping better and finally able to fully relax in my bedroom.
Ideally, it would be best to have a separate space for working (a room for a home office) and separate spaces for relaxing (living rooms, bedrooms, she-sheds, man-caves, etc.). If you aren’t able to dedicate an entire room to a home office, then creating a cozy corner for work in your living room or even your dining area is a great alternative.
Relax Your Body with Yoga, Pilates, and Movement
If you are a remote professional, there’s a high chance that you rarely move throughout the day, aside from grabbing lunch or another cup of coffee. The human body and brain loves movement, and it’s a great way to relax and destress at any time.
Everybody is different and has different preferences for movement, but fortunately, there are all kinds of ways to move and release any stress or stiffness that has accumulated throughout the day, such as yoga, jogging, ju-jitsu, pilates, strength training, and more. And thanks to the power of the modern internet, you don’t even need to leave your home to do these things (unless you want to). All you need to do is look up a tutorial and get started!
Pro tip: Personally, I absolutely love yoga if you want to relax your body and mind at the same time. It’s basically a two-for-one deal!
Clear Your Mind with Meditation, Outdoor Activities, Hobbies, Music, and Social Time
Let’s say you followed the tip from above, but your mind is still thinking about how you need to create that spreadsheet or organize those meeting slides for work. Sometimes, actually most of the time, the mind is more finicky than the body when it comes to relaxation. Sometimes, all you need is a couple of your favorite songs for your mind to relax, and other days, you might need to meditate, play sports, hang out with your besties, put on your favorite album, etc. The key is to try different things and find what works for you. Meditation, outdoor activities, your favorite hobbies, music, time with loved ones, cuddling pets, scrolling through your socials, and at-home spa days are some of the all-time favorites of many remote professionals, including myself!
Work from Places Other than Your Home on Occasion
While this tip might sound like the opposite of Tip #2, which is all about designating a space in your home for your office, sometimes you might need to leave the environment of your home for a bit. I do this when I’m struggling to focus, need some new ideas, or struggling to relax after work. Working from a coffee shop, coworking space, library, park, and any area other than your home can not only give your brain the change of environment it needs but also help separate work and personal spaces.
Find What Is Relaxing for You
While these relaxation techniques mentioned above do work for many people, the key is to find the right techniques and combination of techniques that work for you! Everyone is different, and all you need to do to see what works for you is test it out. Use what works for you and leave what doesn’t, and you’ll soon master the art of unwinding after remote work!
Closing Remarks
That’s all I have for you today! Whether you use one or all of these techniques, I hope you are able to gain the post-remote-work rest and relaxation you deserve. Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips or suggestions for myself or our community; I’d love to try them!
FAQs
Yes, remote work can lead to burnout, which is why it’s important to relax, unwind, and destress after a workday. Since your home is your office, sometimes it can be difficult to switch from work-brain to home-brain, but that’s what the tips in the guide above are for!
Even though remote professions allow people to work from the comfort of their homes, it isn’t completely stress-free. To handle stress, many remote professionals enjoy going outdoors on a walk, meditating, doing yoga, eating comfort meals/beverages, having a spa-day, or even scrolling on social media or watching a favorite TV show.