Working from home is growing popular all over the world, with the 5-day work week in an office slowly disappearing. If you’re looking for a guide on how best to work from home, this article is for you.

Let’s go over some of the most important parts of working from home, including tips to make you as productive as possible.

Talk To Your Boss

The first step is to communicate with your boss or manager. Learn the ground rules of working from home, then go from there. Ask basic questions like how many days per week are you allowed to work from home, and what hours you need to be online and available. You also want to have a clear plan for the specific tasks that you’ll need to handle each day.

Many workplaces communicate via video and chat messengers, like Slack, and Zoom. Make sure you know which apps to download and have all the required technology to work from home. Keep track of all your usernames and passwords so you don’t have any hiccups when you’re logging onto a group meeting or one on one video chat.

Design Your Work Space

It’s important to set up an organized space in your apartment or home for your work office. It’s best to pick somewhere quiet and separate from anything that may distract you. The goal is to have a comfortable chair, desk, file cabinet, or other storage boxes to keep things tidy. The last thing you want is a cluttered desk with wires and other computer accessories tangled about your workspace.

Create A Daily Schedule

Now that you’re all set up to work from home, it’s time to make yourself as productive as possible. This means getting into a daily routine of accomplishing the most important tasks first and attending any video conferences or meetings with co-workers. Prioritize your workflow and stick to the schedule.

However, it’s also very important to carve out some time for yourself. Working from home in isolation can get lonely, so don’t forget to include social interactions in your daily schedule too. For example, you could eat lunch outside, and take breaks to get fresh air and exercise.

We can all get caught up in the work grind and forget to do things for ourselves. Calling up a friend or going to social spaces like cafes and restaurants are good ways to break up the isolation of working from home.

The New Normal

Because working from home is becoming the new normal, make sure you’re using some of the tips mentioned here. It’s the best way to stay productive as an employee, while also maintaining a work-life balance.