There was a time when the idea of working from bed wouldn’t have crossed a worker’s mind. But in today’s post-pandemic landscape, more jobs than ever are work-from-home or hybrid. Now, it’s normal to see homes multi-functioning as workplaces.

While there are many advantages to working from home, like the extra time gained from not having to commute, there are some disadvantages, too. Offices are transitioning to open-concept spaces, where most employees do not have assigned desks, and people are getting fewer in-person interactions with their coworkers. And when you’re not leaving your home, staying as cozy as possible can be tempting, which for many means PJs and working from bed.

But is what seems like a harmless habit inhibiting you from doing your best work? And, perhaps more importantly, are you hurting both your physical and mental health by turning your place of sleep into your home office?

We spoke with a mindset and movement expert to see how working from bed may impact you more than you think, and how to improve your remote workflow to increase your job performance.

Is It Bad to Work from Bed?

While working from bed can feel comforting, there are many reasons to avoid this habit. For starters, your sleep quality may dwindle.

“Habitually working from bed can harm you both physically and mentally,” says movement and mindset coach Nadia Murdock. “Your bed is known for resting—when you mix work with rest, the brain becomes confused. The brain will begin to associate your bed with work versus relaxation. This means when it’s time to go to bed, the body won’t recognize this as a place for rest. As a result, you may begin to experience poor sleep quality, heightened anxiety, and even decreased focus.”

As for the physical effects, Murdock explains the position your bed puts you in can cause everything from posture and back issues to poor circulation and eye strain. And while some of these issues can be fixed by stretching, if you’re working regularly from bed some of these pain points can become chronic issues.

How to Break the Habit of Working from Bed

“Occasionally working from bed is fine. What becomes problematic is when you turn your bed into your default office. It’s about balance and boundaries,” explains Murdock. Here are a few tips to stop the temptations of lying down once the workday begins.

Set Up a Dedicated Workspace

“You don’t need a home office to make this happen,” says Murdock. “Carve out a corner of a room or set up a small desk or table. Make it your own with frames, candles, and desired decor. This helps your brain associate work with a specific place, ideally not your bed.”

If your room or home allows it, try to set up your desk away from your bed. In doing so, you are separating your work and relaxation times to the best of your ability. The further you are from your bed, the less you’ll be associating it with work.

View Your Bed as Your Place of Rest

Physical changes aren’t all that’s needed to break your work-from-bed habit—it’s a mindset shift as well. This may mean making some changes around leisure activities, too. Murdock recommends conditioning your mind to see your bed as a place for rest, relaxation, and sleep, not a place to work. If you’re following the other tips listed, you may already be on the path to conditioning yourself away from viewing your bed as a multi-purpose seat.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

To prevent you from defaulting to working from bed, remove items like chargers or laptops from your room so you must physically get up to work. If you notice you’re defaulting to old habits, commit to getting out of bed and moving to a more suitable workspace.

Keep yourself accountable, but celebrate your wins. You can log how many hours a week you’ve worked from bed versus from your desk or table each week and strive to make positive changes. To keep up your momentum, incentivize yourself with small rewards like flowers for your desk when you hit a goal or a new desk organizer to keep you even more motivated to work outside of bed.