Remote Worker Self Care

Remote Worker Self Care

It turns out that the first time I ever wrote about mental health in remote working environments was back in 2011, with an article titled  Good Habits for Working From Home. Funnily enough, over a decade later much of the article appears to have stood the test of time.

A while ago Linktree announced it was giving their employees some extra days off to combat Covid Blues™ (my words, not theirs), a generous and wise move in my opinion. Everyone needs a break, some time off to recoup and replenish motivation levels and creative juices. Having written this article on an extended weekend I have to say I feel pretty good right now, so let’s call it anecdotal evidence that having some space from work really does help.

I have been a remote worker for more than 10 years now and so I’ve developed a bunch of “rules” to ensure I don’t just burn out. Some of them are more absolute than others, and some I fail at regularly, but I think everyone needs to put together a self-care toolbox and maybe these will help.

1.   Notifications

In true Getting Things Done (GTD) style, I am starting with the easiest self-care tip and working from there. Notifications can be a tool for good and for evil, so use them wisely. Here are my notification tips to help you use them in a productive and mindful way:

• Set expectations with your colleagues
• Turn off your Apple Watch (or similar) notifications
• Set a Slack notification schedule
• Limit phone notifications

2.   Note Taking

Even seasoned remote-working professionals are subject to an overabundance of inputs. Inputs that were once face-to-face are now incredibly data and text heavy. Often remote working can feel like you are facing a barrage of inputs and communication that need to be meticulously organized in order for you to progress, or maybe even start your day. Having a system to deal with this bombardment of inputs, to do lists, and tasks, is critical in ensuring good self-care.

My top tip is to first take notes, then review them, then make action points.

• Taking notes

(Pro tip: Look into using Zapier. Zapier allows users to integrate all their web applications for a more cohesive and fast-flowing working day. For example, you can quickly add saved Slack messages to a to do list, so you don’t forget them.

• Review notes
• Making action points

3.  Taking Time

It’s a well-known tip that taking time away from your desk is important but before you skip this point thinking “I already do this”, here me out. I will skip the “why” and jump to “how” you can effectively do this.

• Exercise
• Socialise

Lastly, if you are genuinely pressed for time and making a moment for these things is hard, here's a tip. Find one task in your week that you can automate and head outside for. Always remember you are worth it, and your mental health needs to be protected.

Share Gratitude with Colleagues

Sharing gratitude with colleagues is hugely important at Linktree and honestly something I will take with me wherever I go. We would have these “All-Hands” meetings that were companywide and aimed to give employees a voice. On Zoom we would form sub-groups of 5-6 people to celebrate milestones, say what we were grateful for or what made us happy during the working day. It might sound a bit cheesy at first but once you get into it, it really provides some positive and uplifting energy.