With all that is happening, many are forced to work from home. Whether you have some experience working from home or are completely new to it, the adjustment can be a challenge. You’ll need to change some of your habits and routines in order to make it work. It’s important to figure out when you’ll work, where you’ll work, how to maintain relationships, and how to separate work from personal life. Use these 10 tips as you begin working from home:

Maintaining a regular schedule is key to being successful working from home. Create a routine in the morning that will get you pumped up and ready for the day. Make a start and end time for your work day and stick to it. Creating a regular schedule and being honest to it will ensure your productivity remains high.

This is the most important tip and will be the difference maker while you work from home. You need to set up a specific work place/home office that you have decided will be your workplace. Often, people think that working from home means working in bed or laying down on the couch. Mentally, it’s important to dedicate a space where you will be working. This will help you focus because you know that when you are in that space, it’s time to work.

A cluttered space creates a cluttered mind. Keeps things tidy in your home office space just as you would in your regular office at work. It can be tempting to have a movie on in the background or have the news on, but if you know you will get distracted easily, avoid it. You know what distracts you, so do your best to avoid those things that will keep you from being productive.

This is a simple one: turn on the lights. Open the curtains or turn on the lights. Light helps keep you alert and working effectively.

Working from home is a mental game. Getting dressed for the day can be a powerful tool to prepare yourself mentally for the work day ahead. If you need to put on your normal business attire, go for it. Every detail counts when you are working from home and staying in your pajamas could be the difference between you being productive or not.

This applies both in the office and working from home. You need to take breaks during the day to get your eyes off of a computer screen and clear your mind. Taking breaks can help with your creativity, see the bigger picture, process information, and ultimately leads to more productivity.

On one of your breaks, take a moment to get outside and breathe fresh air. A nice short walk or even just being in the sun can get you ramped up to go back to work.

Working remotely requires a lot of communication. Communicate with with your supervisors. You don’t have to write pages of reports to them every day but keep them in the loop with your progress and obstacles you may encounter. Between not communicating enough and over-communicating, it’s better to over-communicate.

Being home with family, kids, roommates, or friends proposes a whole new set of challenges. It’s great to be at home with them, but at the same time it’s important to set ground rules so they know that while you are on the clock, you need to have your space and be fully focused on work. Let them know that while they are important, while you are working you need to be given space to get your job done.

Being home with family, kids, roommates, or friends proposes a whole new set of challenges. It’s great to be at home with them, but at the same time it’s important to set ground rules so they know that while you are on the clock, you need to have your space and be fully focused on work. Let them know that while they are important, while you are working you need to be given space to get your job done.