About 8 million people in the country are already working from home. That number is expected to leap higher than ever as social distancing is becoming a new norm.

If you’re new to working remotely, it can feel like a big adjustment. With these nine tips, you can learn how to work from home successfully without it hurting your productivity. It’s all about finding the right balance between your work and personal life.

With these tips, you’ll find working from home is easier than you realized. Start boosting your productivity and finding that work/life balance with these nine tips!

1. Keep Regular Work Hours

The first step you need to take when working from home is to change nothing.

That’s right. If you usually get up at 7 a.m. to go for a jog, stick to it. If you used to drink a protein smoothie before driving to work, make that smoothie.

Either way, you want to create a routine and stick with it.

Sticking with your usual routine will tell your body and mind, “Hey, it’s time to go to work.” Even if you’re not leaving your home, keeping to a routine will help you maintain your worker bee mindset.

It’s also important to set boundaries for yourself. Working from home gives you the flexibility to start early or extend your day. However, you should still set clear “start” and “stop” times for yourself.

Have clear guidelines about when you’ll start working and when it’s time to log off.

If you’re not working a clear nine-to-five schedule, determine your schedule ahead of time. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to shut off “work” mode and let your personal routine take over.

2. Set Some Ground Rules

Are there other people at home with you? If so, it’s important to set ground rules about when and where you’ll work.

If you have children at home, make it clear that there are activities they can and can’t do when you’re working. Otherwise, you might hear loud music playing during your next conference call.

When learning how to work from home successfully, these ground rules are key. Let your family members or roommates know you can’t let service people in or take the dog for a walk. Set your work hours and make it clear you need to stick to your schedule.

Otherwise, your at-home life will eat away at your productivity.

3. Take a Break

Does your company have a policy about breaks? If so, stick to that policy at home as well.

If you’re self-employed, take a break from the computer every few hours. Glance away from the screen and give your eyes a break.

Try taking an hour lunch break and two 15-hour breaks during the day. These breaks will give you a short chance to recharge and refocus on the task at hand.

4. Leave the House

Completing a full workday at home only to finish the day off by lounging on the house isn’t healthy. In fact, you’ll probably go a little stir crazy if you don’t head outside.

Try to leave the building at least once a day. Go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air. A little exercise will do your body good.

Make sure to soak in a little vitamin D, too. Your body needs the sunshine as a natural mood booster.

5. Dedicate Your Space

When you first start working from home, make sure to dedicate a space for yourself. You don’t need an entire office. Instead, try to create a workspace that’s outside of your bedroom.

Have everything you need within reach, including your laptop, a monitor, and your favorite mug.

When it’s time to work, try to keep your laptop off your lap. Make it clear that you’re working by sitting at your at-home office. When it’s personal time, pull your laptop onto your lap.

Establishing this difference will help you maintain the divide between your work and personal life.

6. Keep a Separate Phone Number

In order to keep that work/life balance, try to divide your personal and work tools if you can. For example, try to use a separate phone for calls with colleagues and clients. You don’t need a separate phone or landline anymore.

Instead, consider getting a free VoIP service through Google Voice or Skype.

Otherwise, make sure to use a VPN when you’re on a network you can’t control. For example, you’ll want to use a VPN if you’re connected to the internet at a cafe or airport.

Some organizations even have their own VPNs for off-site employees. Ask your company if they offer one.

Otherwise, you might want to consider using a VPN while you’re at home, too.

7. Socialize With Colleagues

86% of employees say they’re most productive when they work alone. When you’re working from home, you don’t have to worry about distractions like unnecessary meetings or load work environments. However, it’s still important to take the time to socialize with your colleagues on occasion.

Isolation can have a major impact on your mental health. When learning how to work from home successfully, don’t ignore the importance of socializing.

Check with your company’s remote work culture. See if they have chat channels where you can communicate with your colleagues. Maybe you want to schedule a weekly video conference together.

Socializing with your colleagues will help you take a mental break from work. It can also help improve your company’s remote culture or help you brainstorm as a team.

8. Overcommunicate

To work from home successfully, it’s important to overcommunicate with your team. When you complete a task, speak up. Let people know about your schedule and availability.

Otherwise, you’re creating an opportunity for people to make assumptions.

Take the time to learn new skills, too. For example, try these strategies for improving your direct sales. Then, share what you learned with your team.

9. Remain Positive

Above all else, make sure to remain positive as you use these tips for working from home. Try to avoid sounding brash when you communicate with your team. Embrace the exclamation point or use emojis to keep communication lighthearted and fun.

How to Work From Home Successfully: 9 Tips to Boost Your Productivity

Now that you know how to work from home successfully, put these tips to work! These tips for working from home will help you improve your productivity. In the meantime, they can also make adapting to this sudden change a lot easier.

Embrace the remote working culture today!

Want to discover more ways to boost productivity for your business? Contact us today to discover how we can help.