What I Learned About Working From Home While Reporting About Working From Home

Five months ago, I began writing Bloomberg Businessweek’s guide to staying productive and sane while working from home. Dealing with the sane part quickly became a priority as workers hit a wall of exhaustion, the early calling card of burnout. To better understand how different people cope when pushed to the max, I interviewed folks who thrive in intense, isolated, repetitive jobs, including an astronaut, a Paralympic triathlete, a Buddhist priest, an Antarctic field manager, and a merchant mariner. I was surprised to find a common thread in their strategies for survival.

All of them seem to be well-rested, calm people. They maintain that level of chill because they stick to schedules that incorporate exercise, sleep, and creative outlets. “Just figure out something you could do every day, forever,” said astronaut Michael Barratt, who spent six and a half months aboard the International Space Station.