So you’ve just returned from a trip overseas during the most inopportune of times, and now you have to stay holed up at home. Or maybe your office has finally granted you the freedom of working from your humble abode. Or you’re a seasoned freelancer, except now you come with the added anxiety of having a global health crisis unfold in real time. This particular mandatory work-from-home period can be overwhelming. We get it. 

Thankfully, the very international team we’ve got has years of experience working across the globe at all hours imaginable! Apart from a very liberal amount of self-discipline, here’s some advice that might help when the going gets tougher.

Set physical and personal boundaries

Offices are designed such that your mind knows automatically to switch to work mode. Your home? Not so much, especially if you don’t have the luxury of study rooms or spaces. If you’re living with others, set up separate areas/desks for everyone to retreat to when it gets too much, or agree on a schedule that allows for both uninterrupted focus and rest times. The key is to communicate and consider what everyone needs.

Dress for the job you have

Wake up, wash up, and change into the usual clothes you’d wear to the office. This physical change further helps in setting up boundaries within yourself, so your mind knows the difference between work time and waking-up time. Even if it takes a full-face of make-up to achieve this, do it. Bonus: you’ll look good while on your Zoom calls.

Check in

Now is exactly the best time to over-communicate. Talk to your bosses and the teammates you work with, tell them what’s on your plate, and let them know what to expect from you by the end of the working day. This helps ensure transparency with everyone involved. Use all the tools available to close the distance between you and your work buddies, and be there for each other. 

Be forgiving

It is completely understandable during these difficult times that you won’t reach your usual levels of productivity and general #hustlin’. This is okay. Extend this understanding to all your colleagues who are also trying to embrace what could be a new normal. You’ll emerge at the end having built relationships that are stronger than before. 

Embrace all that is new

In between having to isolate yourself from others and having the luxury of moving at your own pace, you’ll start to notice what you really like and dislike. Maybe you’ll finally begin enjoying the process of meal-prepping, or find that the gentle repetitive movements that come with knitting calms you down. Whatever it is, now’s the best time to embark on personal projects and new hobbies.

And last but not least…

Keep clean! Disinfect high human-contact points such as device screens, keyboards, and table tops. 

For more tips on how to best work from home, check out this nifty guide written by one of our co-CEOs, Kevin!