1 - Set up a routine

First thing’s first. You have to set a schedule. It’s really important to have a routine that you can count on from the minute you wake up.

We all know the very familiar landscape when we’re not able to meet our daily goals — we become frustrated with ourselves. Get stressed out, and for some of us, anxiety kicks in.

There is a simple system to prevent all of that from happening. The key is to ensure that you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day. If it’s not the exact same time, no problem. But it has to be within the same half-hour span.

There are powerful psychological effects of waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day. Our life gets the necessary bit of constancy, and our body falls into a pattern.

By building this system, you can then mould your day to incorporate the right habits. As you base your life around an established sleep-and-wake cycle, you’ll find your mind being more at peace and your body cooperating with you more on your work.

2 - Get dressed

Yes, it’s incredibly tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day. After all, isn’t that one of the perks of working from home?

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Something as simple as getting dressed can make a huge difference. Every day, make a habit to get out of your bed and get dressed as you would when you head to work.

You don’t have to nail down the exact same look. You simply have to change into your work clothes. With time, your body will start associating your dress with your work uniform.

As soon as you wear it, you’ll physically and mentally be in form to get on with your work. Also, this helps you to mentally separate the two states — from being all comfy and cozy in your pyjamas to being all put together and ready to get stuff done!

3 - Have a separate work station

Your bedrooms is your sanctuary. It is where you feel most relaxed. While it’s really tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day, another big temptation is to work from your bed.

If you can, invest in having a separate work space. And it doesn’t even have to be a room; it can be a relatively quiet area of your house where you can get your work done comfortably.

Designate that place solely for your work. When you walk into that space, you’ll subconsciously know that it is work time and everything else can wait.

4 - Prioritize tasks and break them down

Ah, to-do lists. We all make them. But do we all stick with them throughout the day?

Sadly, no. But there is a way out.

The reason why so many of the things that we want to get done in a day don’t actually get done is because we start looking at the entirety of the tasks at hand.

And, this can be overwhelming.

To break this cycle of mental mayhem, what you can do is to, firstly, prioritize your most important tasks. After that, break down every single task into smaller, more doable steps.

Another thing is to focus only on that one task you’ve prioritized at one time. Do not move on to starting another task if you haven’t finished the first, most important one.

You’ll be surprised at how much more work you get done in a day with this simple but highly effective trick.

5 - Snack smarter

One of the downsides of working from home is that you are isolated to some degree. At times, you’ll find yourself yearning for human contact. At the same time, you have to realize that food is way too readily available. Thus, you’ll find yourself craving food a lot more. Make sure that you fridge and pantry is stocked with healthy snacks. Be sure to live a healthy lifestyle and watch your diet!

6 - Take a break

We all know very well how procrastination is a sneaky culprit. The solution — take frequent, short and well-managed breaks. Taking 5 to 10 minute breaks after an hour of work can serve to refresh your mind and boost your work performance. This can be something as simple as resting your eyes after a stretch of screen work, doing some deep breathing exercises, walking around, or getting water from the kitchen. Especially, taking an afternoon power nap works wonders for keeping you going much longer and spiking your energy levels. Now that you have your work day all set, it is time to for you to learn how you can transition smoothly to your personal life.

7 - Draw the line

The best way to get out of your work mode and back to your personal life is to send your body a physical signal.

For this, set up a habit that you do around the end of your work day. It can be taking a shower, preparing tea, or doing some specific exercise to mark the end of your wok day.

Once out of your work area, you can then cook dinner, text your friends, or do just about anything that’s not work-related to give yourself time to separate from work and just enjoy life.

Working from home is all about time management and discipline. By making some small changes, you can make that happen. Here’s to your happy and productive time while working remotely!