How to stay balanced while working remotely
At Booking Experts, many colleagues work partially or fully remote. From home, on the train, or even abroad. That freedom is great: you can work in a way that truly suits you.
Still, working remotely brings challenges: staying mentally balanced, feeling connected with your team and keeping work and personal life separate.
This month, as part of Mental Health, we’re focusing on a daily reality for many of us: remote work. How do our colleagues maintain their mental balance while doing it?
Why remote work is important to us
At BEX, we believe you do your best work when you have the freedom to structure your day in the way that works for you. Remote work fits perfectly into this picture. It helps us to:
- Work flexibly: you decide where and when you are most productive.
- Maintain work-life balance: by saving commuting time and taking breaks when you need them.
- Create focus and calm: without distractions, you can concentrate deeply and deliver higher-quality work.
- Perform well and feel good: a walk or a coffee break contributes to more energy, creativity and work enjoyment.
- Keeping up with the modern world: we provide a work environment that matches today’s way of working, with technology and flexibility that support both your work and wellbeing. We actively think along with you and offer solutions to make remote working easier and more enjoyable.
In short, at BEX it’s not just about what you work on, it’s also about how you feel while working, even when working remotely.
How our colleagues experience remote working
Our colleagues share their experiences and tips on maintaining balance while working remotely. Our colleagues Peter and Hugo, both based on the other side of the Netherlands, tell how they stay balanced in their workday:
Hugo (Product Manager Integrations): “Not every interaction needs to be a meeting. Sometimes a quick online call is enough to move forward with your work. Make sure to actually go outside, for example, to grab lunch or get some groceries and the day will fly by.''
''On Fridays, I often go to the office and we wrap up the week together during our afternoon drinks, which really makes me feel part of the team. And get a furry friend: that’s definitely the best tip!” 🐾
Peter (Customer Success Manager) appreciates the flexibility BEX provides, allowing him to combine work and private life more easily:
“Choosing to work at Booking Boosters (marketing agency of Booking Experts) wasn’t an obvious choice due to the distance. I had planned to look for something within cycling distance 😄. But it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, and thanks to the flexibility, the distance isn’t an obstacle at all.
Whereas I used to be in Enschede three to four times a week, now it’s only once or twice. We communicate a lot via our online communication channel Slack, but I find it important to make the occasional trip to the office to stay involved in the team dynamics and pick up a few Twentish expressions 😉.
Monday is a good example of how flexible working looks for me: up early, physically present at the team meeting, lunch with colleagues, picking up my son from the farm daycare in the afternoon (and checking on the calves 🐄), having dinner with the family, and finishing the workday on my laptop after the kids are in bed. I have full support from Booking Experts in this: I don’t have to choose between work and family.”
Peter wraps up with a few practical tips:
“Schedule your meetings on days when you’re in the office: it saves a lot of online time. My biggest pitfall: too little movement on home-working days. So keep moving!
Podcast tips: Leisure Talk & LifeAtBEX (of course 😉) for work and Bureau Sport for leisure.” 🎧
Staying connected across borders
Even across countries, BEX colleagues find ways to stay connected. Ernest (Business Development Manager, Netherlands) and Marland (Business Development Manager, UK) are a perfect example:
Ernest: “Marland and I stay in touch regularly. We share a passion for the leisure market and started by working together to help him get up to speed at Booking Experts. We talk weekly to discuss market opportunities, help each other out and we also keep in touch privately about family and life.”
Marland: “Ernest is more than a colleague: he’s my BEX buddy and a rock for the whole team. Our regular calls cover everything from work to family and travel. Remote working was daunting at first, but having this connection made it completely manageable. Traveling to the Netherlands now feels like visiting friends I’ve known forever.”
Dominique (Head of International Growth) emphasizes that connection at Booking Experts goes beyond borders. Many colleagues work fully remote, yet they manage to find each other regularly:
“We organize annual moments where everyone comes together. For example, our UK colleagues will visit in the week before Christmas, and we participate in about 17 international trade shows where colleagues from different departments collaborate intensively. These are days not only for work, but also for creating shared memories.”
In addition, there are other regular moments to maintain international connections:
- Daily meetings within international teams;
- Bi-weekly evaluations per country, involving all departments;
- Buddy system for new international colleagues, ensuring everyone has a go-to person for questions and support.
Céline (Business Development Coördinator International): “Onboarding remote employees, especially those working abroad, is really important. Weekly check-ins with buddies are key to staying connected and feeling part of the team.”
At Booking Experts, remote work is about flexibility, focus, and staying connected. Our colleagues show that with structure, regular check-ins, and personal connections, both online and in person, it’s possible to balance work and life while working remotely.
