Work-Life Balance: Tips from a Remote Creative Team
At Streamline, we don’t just design icons—we live and work as a fully remote team rooted in Calm Company principles. That means no hustle culture, no glorified burnout, and no expectation to be "always on." Instead, we focus on intentional work, consistent progress, and taking care of our minds and bodies.
We asked our team to share the habits, routines, and tools that keep them healthy, grounded, and motivated while working remotely. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Protecting Your Body = Protecting Your Work
"One of the biggest problems for sedentary workers is back pain. Ergonomic chairs are good, but you need strong muscles and regular movement. Yoga, walking, and even indoor cycling helped me more than any chair ever could."
—Vincent - Founder & CEO
Many on the team invest in comfortable, ergonomic setups: split keyboards, custom chairs, standing desks. But just as important as the gear is movement. Whether it’s yoga, badminton, running, or a morning walk, physical health is a recurring theme.
2. Set Your Own Rhythms
"A traditional 9–5 schedule doesn’t work for everyone. I work better in focused sprints with long breaks in between—especially in the afternoon."
—Growth & Marketing
Remote work lets you build a schedule that actually works for your energy. Some teammates use early mornings for deep work. Others reserve afternoons for admin tasks or creative resets. The key is flexibility and learning when you're at your best.
3. Create a Mental Reset Button
"Taking breaks before I feel exhausted helps me avoid burnout. I treat breaks as transitions between tasks, not rewards for finishing them."
—Fajr - Icons Art Director
Breaks aren’t just downtime. They’re intentional pauses to reset the mind. Cold showers, mini breaks, pomodoro schedules, midday naps, and even journaling after intense tasks are used to clear the mental slate.
4. Home Doesn’t Have to Mean Isolation
"Working from home worked for a few years, but eventually I needed separation. Now, I work from a co-working space. Home is for family, not just work."
—Ricardo - Software Developer
Several teammates have found value in working outside the house part-time. For some it’s a sports club with co-working options or a dedicated desk at a shared space. Others find connection through family, pets, or coffee shop dates with loved ones.
5. Work in Layers, Not All at Once
"If I try to design everything perfectly on the first try, I get stuck. But if I break it into layers—structure, shape, detail—I stay in the flow."
—Pascal - Senior Icon Designer
Creative and knowledge work is easier when you break things down. Many team members use layered processes or low-pressure passes to avoid perfectionism and stay productive without stress.
6. Don’t Aim for Perfect—Aim for Progress
"Ugly drafts, bad ideas, and mistakes are part of the process. You can improve something rough. But you can't improve something that doesn't exist."
—Fajr - Icons Art Director
Creative work is hard. Especially remotely. Several of our team members pointed to journaling, playful hobbies like boardgames, and progress-over-perfection mindsets as ways to stay creatively unblocked and mentally resilient.
7. Support Your Brain Like It Supports You
"There's a huge connection between gut health and mental health. I take magnesium, vitamin D, and morning probiotics. And no phone in the bedroom—ever."
—Victor - Tech Lead
Supplements, good nutrition, quality sleep, and reducing screen time are common strategies. Whether it’s vitamins before bed or home-cooked meals at lunch, nourishing the body has ripple effects on clarity and calm.
8. Family Life and Self-Kindness
"As a mom of three, work-life balance can feel impossible. But I remind myself: You don’t have to be perfect—just consistent and kind to yourself."
—Devie - Customer Support Specialist
Life outside of work matters just as much. Our teammates use writing, music, prayer, games, pets, and walks with loved ones to reconnect and rebalance. Continuous learning—not for productivity, but for joy.
Calm Culture, Real Life
Streamline is a Calm Company, but our calm isn’t passive. It’s a choice. We don’t ignore stress, instead we design systems and habits to navigate it. Everyone on the team brings something different to the table, but we all believe in the same thing: work should support your life, not consume it.
We hope these tips give you something real to take away, whether you're part of a remote team or just trying to work (and live) a little more intentionally.
✨ Want more?
See how our calm culture shows up in our work. Read the blog to catch up on our latest projects or start with How Streamline Was Born to learn the story behind it all.
🖼️ Enjoy the illustrations in this article?
You can download them for free from our Free Illustrations Bundle pack. Use them in your own remote work content, projects, or just for fun!
