How to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic and keep yourself motivated to produce results, read on to find out more.

Several organisations are adopting optional or compulsory work-from-home programmes despite the latest coronavirus pandemic. That means many of us to face an unprecedented challenge: first-time working from home, full-time working.

Photo by Annie Spratt on and blog by Skillbox 

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Also, if you've done it before, working from home may feel like a whole new world because of coronavirus: It's probably sudden. It might be here for an extended period rather than a day (and you are not at all sure how long it will last). It might affect your whole business and, you can not automatically socialise outside the workplace in person.

These tips will help ensure that you are competent in both doing your job and preserving your mental wellbeing:

It might sound like a simple tip, but it's crucial.

You don't have to dress as professionally as you would for work, but the simple change of clothes acts as a reminder that it's time to get up and get things done. Do not underestimate the capacity to put on clothes that are ideal for public viewing. Feeling human, might seem like an odd thing to be consciously thinking about, but it's particularly relevant at a time like this, when the breakdown of your daily routines may make you feel cut off from your usual life and the real world.

Being dressed also refers to other things that are focused on appearance: take a shower, wash your teeth, and put on makeup if that's what you would usually do. You don't have to go out in the morning, however, taking care of yourself and taking care of your appearance will go a long way to making you feel like a professional. 

Besides, just because you work from home doesn't mean that no one from the job will notice you. It's 2020, and there are a lot of video meetings being conducted. 

One of the major obstacles when it comes to operating remotely is keeping your job and home life apart. If you never obliterate yourself from work, your productivity in the workplace can suffer, and your home life can also take a hit.

Are you used to going into an office every day? The difference between work and home is physical, so you want to try to replicate it with a dedicated physical workspace at home as much as possible. If you're like me, you live in a small apartment; you could scoff at the idea of a separate space for a home office. I write this from my office, kitchen, living room, and dining-room all in one. Your workspace doesn't have to be a separate entity in your home, however, it should feel as distinct as possible from the rest of your house.

Seek to make your workroom comfortable with a chair that you can sit in and decorate for eight hours a day. If possible, consider a place with decent natural lighting. Also if you don't usually spend a lot of time outside, you will start weighing down easily and may become unproductive, make sure you open your curtains and soak in the natural light. 

Entering your office at the start of the day will help you turn on and get down to work. Leaving your office on the flipside will also help you turn off at the end of the day, and disengage completely. That's why it's also important not to spread yourself around your home — while it might seem nice to be able to switch from desk to couch to bed if you let your laptop crawl into your downtime room, it makes it more challenging to keep your work separate from your home.

When you work at a table you intend to use outside of work or a room in which you can spend a lot of time, pack up your job every evening to make the end of your day meaningful. 

Just as your physical office is marked and segregated, you should be specific about when you are working and not. If you stick with your daily hours, you can get the best work done and be most prepared for the transition back to the workplace. Plus, being on the same schedule as your colleagues make things much more manageable if your job is collaborative.

The greatest difference between working from home and at the workplace is that you are in control of your surroundings and have to handle yourself as an employee. This means keeping yourself accountable, but also knowing when enough is appropriate, just as a good manager should. When you feel like you're stretching your working hours when you're not doing something in the evening, inform yourself that it's time to put away work, refresh, and continue with a fresh mind tomorrow. The distinction is much more important if you stay with other people. Interact with the people you live with to set limits so that you can limit distractions during the workday — and then relax and give your full attention to the things you care about. Getting a separate amount of time and workspace would allow you to be more involved in your home life.

Not only does your morning commute get you to work — from one physical place to another — it also gives your brain time to be ready. Just because you're not travelling doesn't mean you aren't allowed to carve out similar habits to help make your workday easier.

Usually, you would read or listen to music on your commute which is what you should do at home. Perhaps you should spend some time with a pet or someone you love. You can also apply your energy to a workout, preferably at home due to the latest coronavirus, but see what's recommended where you live or spend some time on a hobby, again, make sure it's acceptable considering where you are on health recommendations.

The evening commute does the opposite at the other end of the day. Commuters frequently take as granted the time they have in the car or train to wind down from a hectic working day and brace themselves mentally for their evening routine. Generally speaking, you don't want to have a big presentation before making dinner or doing chores. When you're trying to leap immediately, the brain won't have time to hit the reset button, which can make you less aware when you step back into your personal life. Allow yourself something that will signify the end of the job and act as a buffer. For example, make it a habit when working from home to take your dog for a walk. It will help you to decompress with something physical and fun, and the practice becomes self-reinforcing. 

Diversion is one of the significant challenges facing people working from home — particularly people who aren't used to it. That means that everything that you usually worry about going home to after work is with you now. Taking distractions home is normal. However, you need to be careful about how much distraction you allow yourself to get.

You are probably taking a few breaks at the office during the day, and that's good to do at home too. It's okay to use the time to throw in a load of laundry, but try not to look at your new job situation as an excuse to clean the closet or something else that needs a lot of sustained attention.

One of the main distractions right now is the news. And if the latest coronavirus allows you to function remotely, checking in on COVID-19 updates would be at the forefront of your mind. Of course, staying updated is good, but scrolling yourself into an anxious mess is also quick.

I suggest you set the timers for any breaks you can take. You don't want to get too lost and forget you're totally at work. If you are someone who can be overwhelmed by news stories, turning off your notifications during the working day helps. The news is already going to be there until 5 PM.

If you don't usually operate from home, there will undoubtedly be some bumps on the road if you unexpectedly have to go remote. Communication — especially with your boss and direct reports — is the key to steering through these bumps. Either before you make a move, or as soon as you know it's going on, come up with a schedule that sets out expectations as to how much you will check-in and how you are going to communicate any changes or new assignments. Do the same for anyone you usually deal with during the day.

The design will probably change as you go, that's all right. This is an entirely new case. Just make sure that the strategy is checked back and modified if there are issues. You will also face particular obstacles when you try to do your job remotely, which can differ significantly depending on the type of work you do. Should not hesitate to reach out to the same people you would usually turn to for assistance — even if you are not in the same building as them.

And you needn't just stick to text-based contact. Do not send an email by default if you talked face-to-face with a colleague while at the workplace.

Still interested in working remotely? Join Skillbox today to get started.