So you have chosen to self quarantine or been asked to work from home by your company for the foreseeable future. As someone who worked from home for the first few years of my career and who has been voluntarily fun-employed for a few months, I have my share of tips of tricks to be productive and stay sane, while also addressing issues like isolation.

• Create a schedule and a to-do list, and stick to it.

  • Make a daily to-do list – Wake up every morning and jot down a to-do list or list of goals, beyond an overall weekly schedule of things like workout classes, interviews, networking meetings, and dinners. The purpose of the list is for you to have something to follow but also to have something to cross off as you get it done, which really helps the feeling of productivity. It forces you to remain accountable for getting shit done.

  • Keep a daily distraction list – Inevitably, being at home reminds you of all the OTHER non-work related things you need to get done – dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. As things pop up in your mind, keep another list next to you and jot everything down so you can tackle it when you take a break rather than get up every time something pops into your head. It helps you remain focused on what you are doing currently.

  • Set timers – It is easy to lose track of time entirely when you are sitting in isolation in your apartment and staring at a computer. If this is you, set timers for yourself for the day. The alarms or timers will allow you to focus for periods of time without taking random breaks, but will also remind you that you need to go stretch your legs, eat lunch, or tackle your distraction list.

• Create the environment that you work best in – no, that is probably not your bed!

  • Play background noise – Turn on music, a podcast, or a TV show that creates ‘white noise’ for you as you work. It shouldn’t be loud or distracting. For me, that is morning television or CNN that I keep always keep on but at a low volume. It helps you feel less alone and can also help you focus.

  • Find your desk – Create your ‘desk’ as you would have in an actual office – it should include a flat surface for your laptop/computer, a good chair for you to sit in, and good lighting. Try to move away from your ‘relaxation areas’ like your bed or your couch. A dining table or kitchen counter works great to create a temporary office. Create some consistency by using the same ‘desk’ every day.

  • Leave your phone in another room – Leave your phone in another room, but on loud if its important for you to hear it if someone from work calls or texts you. This is to avoid falling into the Instagram or TikTok trap, which is easy when your phone is right next to you and you are continuously getting push notifications from that one guy that’s always putting out the latest dance challenge on TikTok.

  • Do your morning routine, even if you are not going into an office – This is one that I hear a lot from fellow folks that work from home. Get up and get ready like you would if you were leaving your apartment to go to an office. Maybe even take a walk to your coffee shop that you typically pick up coffee from on your way to work. Doing this helps wake you up and gives you the feeling of being ‘ready for the day’. And hey, you are likely going to be having conference calls in which at least the top half of your body will need to be presentable, so this gets you ready for that as well.

  • Host a daily video check in with your team- Chances are that when you work in an office, you are interacting with your team on as soon as you walk in if not multiple times throughout the day. Schedule this interaction in, via video, on a daily basis even if its just for a 5 minute check in at the start of every day. It really helps you remain connected and in touch, and tackles isolation. Bonus points if you have a team slack that you all communicate on throughout the day.

• Take this flexible time at home – and the time savings from things like not having to commute – to do things you have always wanted to.

  • This, for me, is the number one tool to not go stir crazy and to not feel really isolated. Some ideas below:

    • Choose a friend to call and catch up with every few days or schedule lunch with someone you’ve been meaning to connect with (in the spirit of social distancing, choose the former for now or opt for FaceTime)

    • Tackle your list of TV shows you have been meaning to watch or that list of books that you have been meaning to finish

    • Get organized! This one is a favorite of mine – I love to take time to organize my cupboards or to clean out my closets of things I no longer love or that don’t fit anymore and donate them (reference this blog post for suggestions on where to do this!)

    • Prioritize selfcare, because if you never have time to work out or sleep enough or do a face mask, well now you do! It’s a bit easier when you aren’t running to and from an office or trying to make doctor’s appointments and workout classes at inflexible or inconvenient times.

And of course, at home or not, don’t forget to wash your hands!