Working from home is becoming a popular trend enabling companies to extend their reach for top talent and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. With the technology and apps that we have available to us today, working from home can be as fulfilling as the office with a few tricks.

1. Have a routine

Just as you got up and drove to work in the past, keep a routine for work at home, too. Your routine may include coffee, breakfast, and the morning news instead of a commute. Having a wake-up time and work routine prepares your train of thought for your workday.

2. Get dressed for work

Include getting dressed in your daily routine. Even if it’s not a suit, there is something about being dressed that tells your brain that it’s time to change gears from your slumber state and start working. How you define “dressed” is up to you, and part of the joy of working from home.

3. Turn off internet distractions

Nothing disrupts your groove like a “ping” that you don’t need to address (but feel compelled to peek). Unless your work involves it, turn off all social media while working to avoid unnecessary distractions. Treat internet distractions like you wish you could treat drive-by visitors at the office, but with much more control when working from home. Remember that it takes at least ten minutes to get your head back into your work after any distraction.

4. Communicate with your team

Working remotely doesn’t make you a recluse. Today’s texting technologies for work teams like Slack and Microsoft Teams make communication just as active as if you were face-to-face in the office. Add to that conferencing technology and screen sharing, and you never have to miss a beat.

5. Make a plan for your goals and deliverables

To keep from feeling overwhelmed as your work increases, have a plan together to accomplish your goals. If your team is looking for a solution, programs like Asana and Clickup allow you to create specific tasks and delegate responsibility for completion. Other details associated with the task can be recorded within these tools, like notes, time/labor, due dates, subtasks, and dependencies.

6. Stop and walk away

The need for a break isn’t always as obvious when working from home, so take opportunities to walk away from your workspace and find your center once again. Find a place around your home that gives you total peace. Take ten minutes for a visit. Look around, listen, smell, and be completely present. When you return to your work, you’ll experience a renewed focus.

7. Create a productive workspace

Have a designated workspace for your work and equipment. From your computer to printer and favorite color pens, everything should be within your reach. Another tip – make your workspace motivating just as you would your desk in an office. Treat yourself to an Iron Age Office desk and storage to make your workspace a masterpiece and a tribute to your productivity. Surround your workspace with anything else that pleases and inspires you.