The eternal struggle for a work-life balance has recently been thrown a curveball. With companies big and small requiring their employees to work from home to slow the spread of COVID-19, just how are we all supposed to maintain a good balance when work and life happen in the same place? When the boundaries between the two blur, it’s tempting to focus on whichever one needs our immediate attention. In addition to the mental energy needed to adapt to this new way of working, the restrictions on movement, entertainment and socializing come with uncertainty and fear, which can also be mentally taxing.

Being a remote worker poses its own set of challenges. Back in the office, you’re used to getting quick answers to questions, and you could always see when people were at their desks. Now, you’re flying solo and sometimes it can feel like you don’t have a lifeline to your boss or team.

So we at Poly came up with a few tips to help reduce anxiety in these stressful times.

Tip 1: Stake Out Your Territory

Maybe you already have a home office, or maybe you’ll be making do with space where you can find it. Ideally, you’ll be able to have one dedicated spot in your home that becomes your workspace – that could be the kitchen table or the armchair in the corner, but try to stick with it. If you don’t have one spot as your ‘office’, then your whole home becomes the office. That just makes it harder to shut down and cross the boundary back into your home life at the end of the day.

Tip 2: Use Quality Equipment

Now clearly we’re biased here, but few things are more frustrating to remote workers than technology that doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to or that’s too complicated to be useful. Supplying remote workers with quality communications equipment is our whole thing. We have speakerphones, USB and Bluetooth headsets, and cameras that make sure you have a quality (and easy-to-use) home experience.

Tip 3: Go for a Walk

The more you work at home, the more you realize that you’re not getting much exercise. Remember to take breaks while working. Go for a walk (with your dog if you have one) if you can, or find some simple stretches and exercises you can do from home. Some gyms, although forced to close, have stayed in contact with members by offering daily or weekly at-home routines. Many places are offering workout advice based on the equipment you already have at home. You can find numerous free apps to help guide you along, regardless of what level you’re starting at. Even many paid fitness apps are offering free trials. Whatever you choose, these healthy interludes add up and can contribute to good mental and physical health.

Tip 4: Talk to Co-workers

You’ll probably be on email and IM with your co-workers all day. That’s great, but we all miss having regular social interactions with familiar people. Save some time at the top of group meeting calls to chitchat and see if anyone has discovered any good remote working tips. And, if you have a good work friend that you chat with a lot in the office, don’t just text – call or even video chat about work, or whatever you usually talk about. It’ll give you both a boost and a sense of normality in these abnormal times.

Everyone has coping mechanisms that work for them. By recognizing that this is a different situation that requires a different approach, we can all find ways to take care of ourselves and one another.

Want more about remote working? Visit blogs.poly.com/remote-working.

Many companies nationwide now require their employees to work from home as we all collectively attempt to thwart the spread of COVID-19. So, what difference does it make if you spend your time at home in your favorite ratty sweatshirt? Quite a bit, actually.

Technology enables pretty much anyone with an internet connection, from friends to co-workers, to easily log into a video service like Zoom and jump into a face-to-face conversation. Our own Poly home-office video solutions are so flexible, you could find yourself doing a video call from your browser, desktop, or mobile device. That means at any moment you might find yourself caught off guard by a sudden video request, and no one wants to start that meeting off with potato chip crumbs on their chest.

This raises the question, what are the guidelines for how you look when you work from home? The answer will of course vary by company, but in general it’s a good idea to stick to a few simple rules.

Rule 1: Follow the Leaders

You usually can’t go wrong by copying the head honchos. Dress as conservatively (or as lax) as they do. Now, if your boss has no guidance (or fashion sense), then maybe refer to Rule #2.

Rule 2: Stick with What You Know

You’re already in the habit of selecting certain outfits that are appropriate in your workplace, so just stay the course. Put on the same blouse or shirt that you’d wear to the office and you’ll always be ready to take a video call. Pro tip: You can wear the same shirt two days in a row if no one saw you on the first day (shhh).

Rule 3: TGIF

No one expects everyone to be in full-office fashion every single day, so what’s the lower limit for dressing down? A good guide is to wear something that wouldn’t turn heads if you wore your it on your company’s Casual Friday. Every company has a different policy, so know yours. Bonus tip: Most likely no one will see you from the waist down, so you can stay comfy in shorts, sandals, bare feet. Business on the top and party on the bottom.

Rule 4: Show Some Personality

In the office, you probably have pictures and other knickknacks that add some personality to your workspace. Showing up on camera in a ball cap or shirt with a college or team logo is an easy invitation to a conversation. Our CMO and EVP Amy Barzdukas keeps an array of bright lipsticks around her home office space, since she swears by adding a pop of color to her conversations. If you’re curious: Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in “Regal,” Chantecaille Magnificateur Levres in “2 Red” and Dior Addict Lip Glow in “004 Coral”.

Rule 5: How Low Can You Go?

Even if there’s no chance that you’ll be on camera (or out in public), you’re going to want to keep an eye on how you dress. Obviously you don’t need to put on your full dress uniform if you’ll be working in isolation. But be wary of going through every workday in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms. How you dress can affect your mood, your posture and your focus. Working from home requires a new kind of discipline. Putting in a little effort to look good and professional can help get you in the right work mindset. Saving your comfiest clothes for after work and the weekends will also help you leave work behind and mark a transition from work to leisure.

Your work from home wardrobe is an easy to overlook aspect of the new corporate reality. But with just a little effort you can maintain your look and your spirits for as long as your remote work experience lasts.

Want more about remote working? Visit blogs.poly.com/remote-working.