Home is where the heart is. And as we find ourselves in the second year of the global pandemic, it’s pretty safe to say, it’s also where the worker is. Remote workers are expected to make up more than half of the US workforce by 2027.

The future of the office consists of house plants, ‘Snowball’ the pet cat and the sound of the washing machine whirring in the background.

While remote work has its perks, it's not all fun and games. In reality, working remotely requires strict discipline and comes with its share of loneliness. Remote workers are far more likely to experience work-related stress than their in-office colleagues. The struggle of maintaining a healthy work-life balance is real.

The effects of the pandemic on mental health

It comes as no surprise that people’s mental health has been challenged during the stringent lockdown measures and forced isolation. Young adults between the ages of 18 – 24, and essential workers have been affected the most. According to The Kaiser Family Foundation adults showing signs of anxiety and depression has tripled, from about 10% to 30%.

Stress and change can be a roller coaster of shock to the system: irritability, anger; looping negative thoughts; and anxiety, depression, and then acceptance and responsibility. We are prone to cycle through these several times until a new normal can be sustained.

While some are starting to branch out and test the waters of socializing and planning vacations, others will suffer what psychologists call languishing: a feeling of emptiness and frustration with day-to-day life.

Staying happy and productive, at home

Workplace happiness is in your hands. Although much easier said than done, try to find the time to shift focus from cloud computing to being on cloud nine instead.

Here are four ways to keep a smile on your dial, while meeting deadlines:

  1. Respect your own time - this will be your best work-from-home-hack of 2021. Work can cut into your personal time, so make a clear divide between the two. Set your Slack notifications to silent, put your phone on vibrate, and…breathe.

  1. Equip yourself with the right tools to work remotely - you know what you need to be productive and what will make your life easier. A desk and comfortable seat, headphones and some calming background music or dolphin song.

  2. Family life balance is key while working from home - for parents, productivity takes a knock with little humans running around. Make sure there is time to attend to their needs, and get the job done!

  3. To help you work remotely long-term: find something you love – to break up the monotony of 8 hours looking at your screen, try do something you enjoy every day, when you have that gap. Do some yoga, bake a sourdough loaf or call a friend or loved one.

Remember, we’re all in this together and working remotely is a temporary solution for most. Setting reminders to connect with yourself are just as important as those set for calls and tasks.

Read more on how to find and nurture happiness here.