Remote Work FAQ

No. Many people work successfully from small apartments without dedicated offices. What you need is a consistent workspace—even a corner of a room or a section of a table. The key is having a designated spot that you associate with work, not a separate room.

See our home office setup guide for options.

Occasionally, but not regularly. Working from bed is poor for ergonomics and creates problematic associations between your sleep space and work. Over time, this can affect both your productivity and sleep quality. If space is extremely limited, try to at least sit up with a lap desk and keep bed work to a minimum.

A good chair. You'll spend hours in it daily, and uncomfortable seating causes pain, fatigue, and reduced focus. Invest in a quality chair before anything else. A decent chair with a simple desk beats a fancy desk with an uncomfortable chair.

See our ergonomics guide for seating advice.

Choose a spot as far from your bed as possible. Use visual boundaries (area rug, plants, bookshelf) to define the workspace. Consider a desk that closes or folds away. Establish strong routines to create psychological separation since physical walls aren't available.

See our studio apartment guide for detailed strategies.

Focus comes from environment design plus habit. Minimize visible distractions, put your phone in another room, close unnecessary browser tabs, and use time blocking. Most importantly, recognize that focus is a skill that improves with practice. Start with short focus periods and build up.

See our focus guide and distraction management guide.

At minimum: micro-breaks every hour (stand, stretch, look away from screen) and a real lunch break away from your desk. Many people find short breaks every 45-90 minutes helpful. The key is taking actual breaks—not scrolling on your phone, which isn't restful.

During breaks, brief tasks are fine—starting laundry, unloading the dishwasher. But household tasks shouldn't interrupt work sessions. If you find yourself cleaning to avoid work, that's procrastination. Set clear work hours and save most household tasks for outside those hours.

They can help, but aren't required. Techniques like time boxing (working for set periods) can improve focus, especially if you struggle with distractions. The best approach is the one you'll actually use. Try different methods and keep what works for you.

Create a shutdown ritual: review what you accomplished, note tomorrow's priorities, close all work applications, and put away work materials. The physical act of "closing up shop" signals to your brain that work is done. Then do something clearly non-work to transition.

See our boundaries guide.

Generally yes, especially at first. Without external structure, work easily expands to fill all time. Defined hours create necessary boundaries. You can be flexible occasionally, but having default hours helps both you and the people in your life know when you're working and when you're not.

Create transition rituals that serve the same purpose. Morning: walk around the block, make coffee, get dressed for work. Evening: walk, change clothes, do something clearly non-work. The commute provided transition time—you need to create that deliberately.

Occasional quick checks for urgent matters are fine if they're truly occasional and quick. But habitual evening email checking keeps you mentally at work. You see something that bothers you, think about it all evening, and never fully rest. Better to protect evenings and deal with email during work hours.

You don't need to wear office clothes, but changing out of pajamas helps. Getting dressed—even casually—signals to your brain that it's work time. Many people find they feel and work differently when dressed versus staying in sleepwear.

At minimum: get dressed, have breakfast or coffee, and arrive at your workspace deliberately rather than rolling straight from bed to laptop. Many people benefit from adding movement, reviewing the day's priorities, or a brief transition activity. The specific elements matter less than consistency.

See our routines guide.

Consistency helps build habits and lets others know when you're available. But some flexibility is fine—starting early to leave early, adjusting for appointments, etc. The goal is consistent core hours with flexibility at the edges, not rigid scheduling that doesn't fit your life.