Working from home was meant to give us more freedom. Remote work promised: no commute, flexible hours, and more personal time.

But for many, these benefits never fully materialised. Instead, remote work has created a new set of problems. One of the most common is the difficulty of maintaining work–life balance and boundaries. This is hardly surprising when your desk is just a few steps from your bed, or when co-workers are messaging you late in the evening on Teams.

The truth is that work–life balance in remote work cannot be taken for granted, it doesn’t happen on its own. You have to actively put in the effort to make it happen.

Here are five ways to set boundaries when working from home and protect your mental health whilst staying productive and thriving professionally.

1. Set a Start and End to Your Workday

Just because you can log in early doesn’t mean you should. Decide on a start time and a finish time, and treat them like office hours.

Practical examples:

Morning routine: coffee, short walk and a to-do list.
End-of-day ritual: close laptop, turn off notifications and leave workspace.

This helps your brain distinguish between remote work time and personal time.

2. Define Your Workspace

If your home is your office, your brain may never fully ‘switch off’. Even if you have a very small living space, create a dedicated work setup, this could be a desk, a corner, or a specific chair.

Make this your only work zone. No eating dinner there, no scrolling social media there. This physical separation is key to maintaining work–life boundaries.

3. Schedule Intentional Breaks

Without the natural rhythms of an office, remote workers often forget to pause, leading to fatigue and burnout. It’s easy to get stuck at your screen when there aren’t colleagues inviting you for coffee or lunch.

Try the following:

10:00 stretch break
12:30–13:30 lunch away from screens
16:00 reset walk

Regular breaks are essential for productivity and well-being.

4. Communicate Your Boundaries

Colleagues and clients won’t respect your boundaries if they don’t know them. Let people know your working hours and your expected response times.

Try the following:

Update your Slack/Teams status
Use email autoresponders after hours
Block personal time in your shared calendar

Clear communication is crucial for remote team culture and helps prevent burnout.

5. Have a Digital Switch-Off Ritual

Even if your laptop is shut, your brain might still be ‘at work’.

Try this evening switch-off ritual:

Review completed tasks
Plan for tomorrow
Close work tabs
Log out of work apps
Power down your laptop fully

This creates closure and helps protect your remote work–life balance.

Final Thoughts

Remote work offers incredible freedom, but only if you actively protect it by establishing clear work–life boundaries.

You don’t need to ‘earn’ rest. You’re not failing if you log off on time. And you’re not unprofessional for prioritising mental health at work.

If you’re struggling with remote work boundaries or feeling the signs of burnout, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to fix it alone.

Need help building healthy work habits as a remote professional? Flowmote coaches specialise in remote work well-being and burnout recovery.

Book an initial, no-pressure consultation here, with a money-back guarantee: 👉 https://app.flowmote.co.uk/

How to Set Work–Life Boundaries Whilst Working Remotely