Welcome to the second edition of On Work!
The perks of remote work are undeniably enticing - but are we paying a hidden price?
Working remotely might mean answering important messages while standing in front of awe-inspiring landmarks, or juggling work deadlines amidst personal challenges. Is the inevitable melding of our personal and professional lives a price worth paying?
I think so - and I’m sharing some of my thoughts on how you can find a little more balance.
Here’s to progress,
Rhiannon
P.S. Help us out and spread the word - will you share On Work with your network?
Coffee Chat: Finding balance in remote work
Remote work comes with countless benefits, but lately I’ve wondered — does freedom come with a cost?
In my book, The Remote Work Era, I wrote about how going remote has allowed me to create a life that prioritizes me, my family, and my interests rather than the traditional way of doing things, which is to create a life centered around work.
Since going remote in 2015, I have been able to travel the world, going where I want, when I want, and taking my work with me. I’m also able to work flexibly, meaning time zones are mostly irrelevant; I can do errands or go to the doctor on weekday afternoons as needed.
However, the longer I’ve been remote, the more I’ve reflected on how my life and work have merged together. This is both a perk and downside to the flexible lifestyle many of us crave.
Yes, I can travel to Egypt and take my work with me (as I did last fall) — amazing, right? But freedom and flexibility isn’t just beautiful Instagram shots posing in the desert in a flowing dress. The reality can be responding to an urgent Slack message while in front of the Great Pyramids, a stark contrast that pulls you away from the ancient wonders that lay before you.
And yes, I can take my cat to an emergency vet appointment without needing to call off work. But while convenient, this can mean working from my laptop in the waiting room, compounding the stress and anxiety of worrying about my pet’s health with stress over work deadlines.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be like this. We’ve all heard how important it is to create boundaries when working remotely — it’s basically one of our values at Remote. But that’s easier said than done as a remote worker.
So many of us - especially those of us who have been working in tech throughout our careers and who grew up with the Internet - blend life and work instinctively. It’s second nature to take a moment to quickly respond to a work message, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing.
I have to wonder, what is the overall impact on our mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing? Yes, we receive health benefits from not having to commute for long hours, and many of us have more time at home to exercise and engage in fun hobbies which can lower our stress. Despite this, my “always on” mentality has definitely led me to exist with a constant layer of work-related anxiety that feels impossible to shed (completely self-imposed, of course). And as someone with ADHD, the feeling of constant urgency to respond to something, or do the thing (whatever that thing is) can actually have negative ramifications on my productivity and performance.
As I’m still working through these realizations, I regret to say I don’t have all the answers on how to combat this. But there are a few strategies I’m trying to implement more in my life, which might be helpful for you as well:
1. Don’t check Slack or email first thing in the morning. Instead, take some time to do something for yourself after waking up, like eating your favorite yogurt while listening to a podcast, or doing a five minute meditation. Try finding some kind of ritual that allows you to connect with yourself and your body instead of dissociating on your phone, freaking out about how many messages you need to respond to.
2. Focus on the personal stuff. If you’re anything like me, you might use work as an excuse to distract you from ‘life’ things that might be more important. The truth is, work can wait — very rarely is someone’s life dependent on you hitting your deadline or responding on Slack. If you’re at the vet with a sick pet or out on a walk with your partner, focus on that experience. Of course you don’t want to be neglectful of your work or leave your colleagues hanging, but you’ll probably find that focusing on personal stuff as it’s happening (without your phone or laptop in front of you) doesn’t actually detract from you getting things done.
3. Go outside more. This one is self-explanatory. There are countless benefits to going out for just a ten minute walk. It’s a great reminder that there is a life beyond your phone and computer screen (which we can sometimes forget when we’re hyper-focused or stewing with anxiety over our to-do lists).
Over To You
In this edition, we’re hearing from Diego Bejarano Gerke, the CEO of Wifi Tribe. Find them on Instagram here!
What inspired you to choose your career path, and how did you get started?
Looking back at a graveyard of failed startups, I realized I wasn't progressing personally or professionally. I'd spent the first three years of my "career" just throwing endless hours of work at something that didn't work. So I decided to redesign my life around travel, being surrounded by great people and the freedom of working remotely. Seven years ago I wrote an email to 100 friends to join me in my home country of Bolivia to work from there for a month and that's how WiFi Tribe started.
What have you changed in the last 6 months that has made a positive impact on your work life?
I worked on time management. The habit that had the biggest impact for me was to schedule all tasks in my calendar rather than dumping them in a to-do list. It has helped me better predict how much time I have available and made me feel good about what I was accomplishing in a day. A sense of accomplishment = more motivation = more energy = a positive cycle of productivity.
What has been the most rewarding experience in your career so far?
For the last seven years, we've been building a community of remarkable humans living inspired lives. Seeing the impact that the community has had on people is by far the most rewarding thing – businesses have been built, people have found love and formed families, and groups of friends are talking about moving into little villages or neighborhoods together to stay in each others' lives.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your work life, and how did you overcome it?
It's been hard to find the right chapter hosts who lead our coliving trips – charismatic, natural leaders who love building community so much that they'll travel the world with our members and foster a sense of community wherever we go.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
If you’re building something, get so specific about what makes your offering unique and so laser-focused on who you're doing it for that you effectively have no competition – you are creating your own category. This lesson can be carried into all areas of life and work, because when you're everything for everyone, you're nothing for no one.
How are you maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
I'm a recovering workaholic. I've simplified it to two things: a sharp mind and a healthy body. I swear by regular workouts (strength and cardio), healthy food, no alcohol, time in nature, and all the sleep my body needs.
Want to be featured in the next issue of On Work? Get in touch!
The Rundown
Five interesting things we thought you should know
1. Ready for a taste of freedom?
Learn what it’s really like living as a digital nomad through the lens of Tayler Gill, who shared her experience with a remote work program in Ponta do Sol, Portugal.
2. Should you be getting closer to your colleagues?
A new working paper from economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the University of Iowa, and Harvard looks at the relationship between coworkers’ physical proximity and the amount of feedback exchanged.
3. Dreamed of living in Japan?
The country has recently announced a plan to offer a visa for remote workers as part of efforts to attract greater investment and talent from overseas.
4. Off Mute podcast
Off Mute features Remote CEO Job van der Voort as he interviews some of the world's top experts in global HR, legal, finance, and operations to help businesses thrive in the new world of distributed work. Listen to our first episode of 2023 about legal challenges when working remotely!
5. The Remote Influencer Report, 2023
Want to follow the top influencers in remote work? We’ve got you covered! Remote’s Influencer Report for 2023 spotlights 150 experts and includes lots of tips and free resources that you can’t miss.
This was On Work, a monthly newsletter to help professionals thrive in their careers.