Working from home is in no way a new phenomenon, however, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of people will be working from home for the first time ever this week.

This can be a difficult transition for some people and separating work life from your home life is even more of a challenge when it’s all going on under the same roof!

So, if you’ve been instructed to work from home and are not self-isolating, we’ve got you covered. Check out our top tips to help you master your new ‘wfh’ lifestyle.

1. Stick to a routine

It might be tempting to set your alarm 5 minutes before you’re due to ‘log on’ given your commute is now the distance it takes you to reach your laptop. But let’s face it, no matter how much of a morning person you are, we all need some time to prepare for the day, both mentally and physically. So, get up at a sensible time and set yourself up for the day ahead. Did someone say coffee?

2. Get dressed

The second step is to get out of your pj’s. Getting changed into normal clothes will also help you get into the right frame of mind to start working. Plus, you don’t want all your colleagues to know you’re still gracing your reindeer onesie in March while on an impromptu video call!

3. Create a decent workspace

Working from the comfort of your sofa might seem appealing but will hinder your productivity, not to mention your posture. People who are successful when working from home recommend setting up a workstation. If you don’t have a desk or an office, use your dining room table or breakfast bar – just be sure to have a chair that provides good back support.

4. Keep in touch with your team

There are so many cool tools on offer to help teams stay in touch while working remotely, here at [site_name] we use Microsoft Teams. Some other platforms include Google Hangouts, Viber, BlueJeans, and Join.me. It’s important to keep in contact with your team, not just to make sure they haven’t taken a quick nap, but to ensure your team are managing and to keep the comradery alive – we’ve decided to take some time out of our day to send pictures of our lunches as this is normally the main source of our daily office chat. Hey, what can we say, we like our grub?!

5. Get outside

Take some time during your lunch break to get outside. Go for a walk, whether it’s 30 minutes or 5 – it’s amazing what a bit of fresh air will do for your concentration and mood.

6. Avoid the urge to multitask

While working from your home, there can be a real urge to ‘stick a wash on’ or quickly run around with the hoover. However, it’s important you fight the urge to multitask as it can become far too distracting. Instead, set yourself boundaries to help maximise your productivity. Use the extra time you have in the morning to get those niggling tasks done and get your workstation tidy, that way you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something before you’ve even opened your emails and the temptation to go full-blown Kim and Aggie will be minimized (until your lunch break at least).

7. Let the people you live with know when and where you’re working

To avoid all kinds of embarrassment, make sure the people you share your home with are aware and kept up to date with your daily schedule. Let them know when you have important calls planned and to give you the peace and quiet you require.

8. Stick to your working hours

When you aren’t confined to working in an office where you rely on transport to get from A to B, it is easy to work longer hours without even realising. Avoid overworking where possible, stick to your usual working day and turn off all work-related notifications when your working day is over. Remember to take a lunch break away from all things work-related – you’ll thank us later!

9. Avoid loneliness 

This one is super important right now as our ‘normal’ social lives are currently impacted by government recommendations and advice. Ensure you don’t feel isolated from your family and friends by socialising outside working hours. Find out the latest gossip via video or phone calls, this will help you switch off from your day at work and connect with those you might not be able to visit right now.

10. Keep active

As the saying goes ‘healthy body, healthy mind’, working out will help you keep your mental focus and motivation during the day. It might be difficult to stick to your normal fitness regime but there are loads of great home workouts on YouTube to help you get a sweat on!