Key Takeaways:

• Remote work has tripled in recent years. Research shows that trend is likely to continue to rise. Professionals need to rethink their work and personal spaces to accommodate this new way of working.
• While office employees experience a ton of distractions each day, remote employees deal with their own interruptions. In an office, you might deal with chatty colleagues, internet usage, or coffee breaks, while remote employees tend to wrestle with kids, pets, or household chores.
• Working from bed is one of the worst things you can do for your sleep patterns and mental health. Countless studies have shown that carving out specific places for rest and relaxation will improve your mental health, sleep, and daily routine.
• Even small spaces can be tweaked to accommodate workspaces that improve productivity. The article goes through several real-life, research-backed tips for properly setting up your space and compartmentalizing work and personal life for maximum mental wellness and balance.

As remote work becomes increasingly common, many individuals find themselves navigating their professional responsibilities from their bedrooms, couches, or dining tables. An Axios poll shows that 39% of remote workers actually do work from bed, and some even create a working from bed setup. While this flexibility can seem appealing, working in environments designed for rest and relaxation can adversely affect your mindset, productivity, and overall well-being.

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of work from home professionals tripled. This number is likely to continue increasing as employees enjoy the benefits of a more flexible work arrangement. With in-home offices becoming so common, it’s important to understand mental health and your environment, and the real impacts of working from bed. This article explores ways to separate work environments from relaxation spaces and offers practical solutions for how to improve mental health in the workplace and foster a healthier work-life balance.

The Psychological Impact of Space Association

Space Conditioning

Humans are naturally conditioned to associate specific environments with particular activities. For example, bedrooms are typically linked to sleep and relaxation. Many experts suggest keeping your bedroom calm, quiet, and reserved for rest in order to improve sleep patterns.

When work spills into these spaces, it disrupts this conditioning, making it difficult to engage in either work or rest effectively. The bedroom, once a haven for rejuvenation, can morph into a source of stress and distraction. This is especially true if you can see your computer monitor flashing across the room, or hear your phone buzzing with email notifications on your bedside table.

Disrupted Relaxation

The mixing of work and relaxation spaces can lead to heightened stress levels. The presence of work-related items in a space meant for unwinding can trigger anxiety, hindering the ability to decompress. This constant reminder of unfinished tasks can prevent individuals from fully enjoying their downtime, leading to a cycle of stress and unrest. For example, if you are working on your to-do list from your bedroom, it’s too easy to jump up from rest to add an item you just thought about.

Related Post: The Importance of Unwinding After a Long Day: How to Truly Relax and Recharge

Effects on Sleep

As mentioned earlier, working in the bedroom can significantly impact sleep quality. The mental association of the bedroom with work tasks can make it challenging to fall asleep or achieve restful sleep. The result is often a cycle of fatigue, decreased productivity, and increased stress, which can take a toll on both mental and physical health. When you get into bed, your body and mind should both feel a degree of relaxation  and readiness for sleep - and that only happens after continued conditioning.

How much does sleep really matter? Turns out, a lot. There are several studies that prove the link between poor health and a higher likelihood of obesity, heart and kidney disease, diabetes, stroke, and other conditions. And in the short term, lack of sleep makes it harder to learn, focus, and react. Over time, as your sleep deficit continues, you’re likely to notice trouble remembering things, managing your emotions, and coping with change - all things that are important for a healthy, optimized work life.

Negative Consequences of Blurring Work and Relaxation Spaces

Increased Stress Levels

The inability to escape work-related thoughts in a relaxation space can lead to heightened anxiety. When your mind is constantly reminded of deadlines and responsibilities, true relaxation becomes elusive. This chronic state of stress can further exacerbate mental health issues and diminish overall well-being.

Reduced Productivity

Relaxation areas typically lack the structure and discipline necessary for effective work. Distractions abound in spaces that are not designed for focus, leading to decreased productivity. The informal atmosphere of a relaxation space may foster a casual attitude towards work, making it more difficult to accomplish tasks efficiently.

For example, many people end up working from their dining room table or a breakfast nook in their kitchen. At some point you’ll have lunch - which leads to putting your dish in the dishwasher. And then, you may notice the dishwasher is full and needs unloading. Statistics show that while working from home can lead to improved productivity overall, on a day to day basis it is incredibly easy to get distracted. Whether it’s pets, kids, or a pile of laundry, 80% of remote employees say they get distracted by things that don’t disrupt them in the office.

The top disruptors for remote employees tend to be:

• Social media
• Household chores
• Pets/kids
• Hobbies and interests
• Errands
• TV or video games

That being said, some studies show that remote employees are likely to have less disruptions than people in an office setting. Office workers state that their biggest disruptions include cellphones and texting, internet usage, office gossip, and co-workers stopping by.

The bottom line is that managing your environment is key to streamlining your work and productivity.

Difficulty Disconnecting

Without clear physical boundaries between work and personal life, individuals may struggle to disconnect from work mode. 53% of remote employees say they have a harder time separating work and personal life than they did in an office.

This lack of separation can lead to extended work hours and the continual checking of emails or tasks, contributing to burnout and diminishing job satisfaction. For example, many remote employees say that they spend the time they would have spent commuting on work tasks, and they are likely to make themselves more available during evening hours - even during dinner with their families, for example.

Benefits of Establishing a Dedicated Workspace

Enhanced Focus and Efficiency

Creating a dedicated workspace sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to enter "work mode." This separation enhances focus and efficiency, allowing you to concentrate on tasks without the distractions typically found in relaxation areas. The result is often improved performance and productivity.

Improved Work-Life Balance

Physical separation between work and personal spaces helps maintain clear boundaries, which is vital for a healthy work-life balance. By designating specific areas for work, you can more easily delineate professional responsibilities from personal time, leading to a more fulfilling life outside of work and addressing how to improve mental health in the workplace.

Mental Well-being

Establishing a dedicated workspace reduces the risk of burnout by allowing you to fully relax when not working. With clear boundaries, you can enjoy your personal time without the nagging reminders of work, which is essential for how to improve mental health in the workplace.

Related Post: How to Prioritize Mental Health in an Overconnected Digital World

Practical Tips for Creating Separation

Designate a Specific Work Area

The simplest tip is to stop working from bed! Depending on your residence, that can be difficult. However, even in small living spaces, it’s essential to set up a dedicated work area. A small desk or table can serve as an exclusive workspace, helping to create mental separation from leisure activities.

If you live in a tiny studio in NYC, there may not be other spaces available. In that case you might set up a slide-out side table with a drawer where you can put your laptop and documents away before getting into bed. No matter your space, it’s essential to try and carve out a specific area where you keep things like your computer and files. Ideally, this is a space where you don’t also sleep or relax, and a place where things are out of sight - and out of mind.

Use Physical Boundaries

Utilizing room dividers or rearranging furniture can help create distinct areas for work and relaxation. Physical boundaries reinforce the mental separation needed to maintain focus and productivity. Some tips for doing so are:

• Arranging furniture so that work spaces are facing away from your relaxation area - for example, turning chairs that you sit in for work away so that they do not face your bed.
• Using lighting creatively. Have a lamp over your work area that you can turn off when you’re done to signal your office is “closed”.
• Store supplies effectively. Add bins under your desk or set up wall shelves for storing documents, so you can put things “away” when work is done.
• Ensure you have everything you need for work in your work area. If you have to keep getting up and moving around your home, you’re more likely to get distracted.
• Set up a “zone” for work materials that you don’t use often. Keep things that are not pertinent to current work, like old files, in a separate space that is still accessible from home.

Establish Rituals

Creating specific rituals to start and end your workday can aid in mentally transitioning between work and personal time. Actions like closing your laptop or taking a brief walk can signal the end of the workday and help you unwind. Similarly, waking up at the same time and preparing your coffee in the same way each morning signals to your mind that it’s time to be “on”. In general, maintaining a consistent schedule is good for your productivity, sleep patterns, and mental health.

Related Post: Routine by Design: How to Build Routine Around Goals

Pack Away Work Materials

At the end of your workday, store away work items to prevent intrusive thoughts about work during personal time. Keeping your workspace tidy and out of sight can help you disengage from work responsibilities. Bonus points if you can make sure this space is not in your vision when you go to rest. Meaning, don’t place your laptop on the nightstand.

Use a Browser Like Shift

Your digital organization can be just as powerful as your physical surroundings. A hectic  digital environment and stress can go hand-in-hand. Consider using a browser like Shift to separate your personal and work lives. By isolating work-related apps and email accounts from your personal ones, you create a clear distinction that helps you maintain focus and reduces the temptation to engage in work during your downtime.

For example, set up custom Workspaces on your laptop so that you can differentiate between work and personal tasks easily. When you log in to your “work” environment, you’ll immediately have access to the tools you use for business (and you’ll even skip the logging in and out). At the end of your work day, switch over to your personal space to shift mental gears with just a few clicks.

Another benefit of using Shift is the ability to aggregate notifications across all of your apps and accounts, and then customize them to limit interruptions. That way, during your personal time, you won’t be getting constantly pinged from Outlook or Slack (and vice versa - you won’t get constant Instagram notifications when you’re trying to focus on project work).

As remote work continues to shape our professional lives, better understanding your physical environment and stress is crucial. By recognizing the importance of separating workspaces from relaxation areas, individuals can foster improved productivity, mental well-being, and a healthier work-life balance.

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