While the world is on lock down thanks to the coronavirus, most of the work force will be transitioning to work from home over the next few days. Fortunately, many of us are already comfortable working from home, but for those who are not I have put together my top tips for making the most out of your time at home and how to stay productive while in a new routine.

1) Set up a Workstation Once You Start Working from Home

For many people the act of “going to work” is something they need in their routine to get their day started. However, if this is your first time where you will be working from home for an extended period of time, you need to find a new definition of “going to work”.

Whether you have a separate home office, a desk, or a dining room table, find a place to be your “official” workstation. This way you can set up your computer, monitor, notebook, coffee mug and anything else that will give you all the comforts of your regular office. Try to re-create the type of work environment you are used to in order to best transition to working from home.

2) Create a Schedule Each Day

For people who are new to working from home, structure can be a lifesaver. Set up calls throughout the day with your co-workers, partners or customers to set up check points throughout the day to give some structure around when you will get particular projects done.

While you may book calls back-to-back in your office to get them out of the way, spreading them throughout the day when you work from home, can help to avoid burnout and to keep you on task. And if there are no professional meetings you can use as schedule goal posts, create some personal ones. Set a lunch time every day and stick to it, set an afternoon break and stick to it. Maybe choose a time in the morning to take a stroll around the block. Anything to give your schedule some structure will help move you through the day productively. This piece from CNN offers some more tips on how to have a structured, but not too structured day.

3) Set Yourself Up for Success the Night Before

If you have a lot on your plate, take a few minutes before you go to bed each night to jot down a to-do list for the following day. This will help organize your day, so your morning is under control from the get-go.

4) Avoid the Endless Inbox

If everyone in your office is now working from home, surely your inbox is bound to start filing up. However, try to avoid endless inbox work. Set a timer for 30 minutes to reply to emails, then take an hour to actually get some work done, then go back to the inbox for another 30 minutes and so on, all day if you need to. Otherwise, the day will slip by without ever getting any work actually done.

5) Give Yourself a Chance to Adjust to Working From Home

I think the biggest piece of advice I could give someone new to working from home is that it will be an adjustment. When I started working from home full-time, it took several weeks to really get into a groove. Be kind to yourself, everyone is going through the same thing right now. You’ll get used to it; it just takes a little time.

And once the situation returns to normal, here are my tips for Working While Traveling!