Chances are that due to COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the Coronavirus), you’ve been asked to work from home on a part-time or full-time basis. For some of us, that’s not a problem. Here at SelfKey, our team works remotely so we’re used to working from home, but we understand that this is a new way of working for many people.

Working from home can be challenging in a number of ways, especially if it’s not something that you are used to. In this article, we’ve compiled our top tips on how to work from home and compiled them for you here to make life just a little bit easier.

1. Keep a regular schedule

Working from home sounds like a dream until you’ve somehow spent sixteen hours working and can’t seem to stop checking your work emails before bed. It’s crucial to set your own working hours when working from home. We suggest a schedule that is similar to what you had when you were working in the office. Choose a start and end time, and make sure to give yourself breaks every couple of hours. Installing a time tracking app, such as RescueTime, can help make sure that you are sticking to your schedule.

That being said, your schedule may need to adapt. If things are chaotic right now at your job, you may be finding that you are working longer hours. If your job requires you to coordinate with people in different time zones, you might have to wake up earlier or stay up later in order to make it work. Don’t worry about needing to move your schedule around, but do try to stick to the same schedule as often as you can.

2. Have a morning routine

The most successful people in the world have a morning routine, and chances are you already had one before you started working from home. While your old morning routine might not be functional anymore, it’s important to establish a new one. Use your morning routine to set yourself up for success.

You don’t need to go crazy with your morning routine and start doing everything that is recommended; pick a couple of things you would like to add. You can meditate, exercise, plan out your day, or spend quality time with loved ones. Have your morning routine end with you starting to work.

3. Give yourself breaks

This is one of the most important aspects of working from home. It’s really easy to spend your whole day working and forget to eat lunch or take the dog out for a walk. Have set times during your daily schedule where you take a break. You can plan for several shorter ones (ten to fifteen minutes) throughout the day, and don’t forget to take a little longer to have lunch!

It’s important that you don’t shortchange yourself during your breaks. If you give yourself ten minutes, take the full ten minutes. You can grab a drink, go to the bathroom, do a bit of stretching, say hi to your family, or plan what you want to have for dinner. Once again, having a timer here is really useful to make sure you are taking your breaks and spending time away from your computer and phone.

4. Have a dedicated workspace

If you don’t have a desk or table you can use in a quiet room, now might be the time to get one. Working on your couch or in bed sounds appealing, but these are spaces that your brain associates with leisure and as a result, your productivity may suffer. Finding a dedicated room or surface to work on helps keep your work life and your home life separate.

While your entire family may be home with you right now, do your best to find a space that is free of other people and request that people don’t bother you. If you have young children at home, this might be tricky, but you can redirect them to quieter activities while you are working. Do your best to set ground rules with the other people in your home or who share your space with for when you work.