If home-office lifestyle is new for you, whether due to the COVID, or because you just found a cool full remote-based job, it is likely that you face some changes in habits and daily routines to adapt to the new work-from-home philosophy. We are all different, we have different personalities, lifestyles and different job related responsibilities, so each of us faces unique challenges. However, despite the differences, many of the core issues of remote work stay the same.

Pace yourself

First, be easy on yourself, any transition takes time to get used to So, you might feel lonely, isolated, stressed, unmotivated, or relaxed, energized, or productive, it’s all OK and normal. Second, take breaks. Walk around your home, go outside if the weather is nice, chat on the phone with a friend and move away from your laptop when eating. Moving your body enables you to refresh and can increase your productivity when you return to your work. Third, ensure your integrity and peace during working hours. Talk to family members about the hours you are working from home and ask then not to disturb or interrupt you. Be as proactive as you can in avoiding distraction incidents as they usually cause loss of focus and distract the thought process.

Create a cosy work environment

Assigning a designated home-office space can help tell your brain you’re in the place where you do work productively. Creating work triggers helps your brain get ready for the day. For example, you can start your day similarly as you did when you went to the office, like exercising, reading the news, or making a cup of coffee. Ensure that you have a comfortable, ergonomic, chair and a cosy work desk. If you still didn’t get that desk, and that ironing board always looked to big, use it, it only matters that it’s comfortable to you. However, don’t let it stay a permanent solution.

Predefine a time to finish

You might think that working from home creates more work-life balance, but be careful with that. In a relaxing home environment, you can easily get so caught up in your tasks, that you lose complete track of time. So if you regularly work from home full-time, it’s really easy to let your work life bleed into your personal life. To prevent that remind yourself, or set an alarm to indicate your normal workday is coming to an end. There is no need to stop at an exact time, but knowing the workday is technically over can help remove you from your home-office.

Structure your work day

When working from home, you’re your own boss, and you define your working hours. However, without a clear schedule to break up your day, you can easily lose focus or burn out. To stay on track, define upfront what task will you do at what time during the day. Focus on completing important stuff first. Structuring your day as you would in the office so that you keep the productivity but also not invade your personal life with your work tasks.

Communicate and stay connected with your colleagues

In the office a lot of important information is exchanged on casual occasions, on coffee breaks, lunches, or in some casual conversation on a hallway. When working from home, this is proving to be difficult, and you might feel cut of from your colleagues or some the larger operation happening in your company. Instant messaging and videoconferencing tools like Slack, Teams or Zoom can make it easy to check in with other remote employees and remind you how your work contributes to the big picture. Getting the right stack of support tools to fit your work style makes a big difference in completing the work in time, but also boosting your social interactions when working from home.

Hopefully the above tips will help all who are already working remotely, but also those who are just starting a remote job. Wishing you a productive, interesting, and a pleasant work-from-home experience.