To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, many companies are asking employees to work from home. This prevents anyone from coming into the office sick.

It also prevents employees from getting sick on their way to and from work on crowded busses and trains. However, some people aren’t fantastic at working from home. If you could use some guidance, here are some tips for working remotely.

1. Set up a comfortable and productive environment

If you’re going to work from home, you are going to need to set up a home office. Your home office should have a desk, computer, and everything else you need to get your work done. You want to make the environment comfortable with good smells, pictures of family, and anything at else that helps keep you motivated.

2. Establish working hours

Even though you are at home, that doesn’t mean that you can work whenever you want. If you follow that philosophy, it makes it far more difficult to get everything done. Wake up at the same morning every day and start at the same time. This works well if your employer requires you to clock in at a specific time, but other people have more freedom. This means you need to practice self-discipline. That isn’t to say you don’t have the freedom to get things done during the day when you need to, but you should stick to regular hours. When you are done for the day, consider a ritual to signify the end of the day, such as walking the dog.

3. Avoid Distractions

It’s easy to get distracted when working from home. This is even more true if you have people in the home with you. You need to establish ground rules with those people to help you be productive. Ideally, you can have privacy during the hours you want to work. You should also turn off media, such as the television. You’ll be more productive when you aren’t watching Ellen dance and talk to guests from the corner of your eye.

4. Communicate Regularly

Since you are working from home, you need to do everything you can to reach out to the other members of your team. Make a point to reach out regularly to prove that you are fully engaged and getting your work done. Be positive in all of your communications, and be sure to proofread everything before you hit the send button.

5. Use a VPN

Working from home can leave you vulnerable to hackers if you don’t properly secure your computer and your internet. Set up good passwords. You should also use a VPN. A VPN, or “virtual private network” adds security to your internet, making it almost impossible for anyone to break into your wifi connection. This will keep all of your sensitive work documents safe.

6. Take Breaks

You can’t work nonstop. It’s crucial to stop every now and then to clear your head. You get regular breaks at work for a reason. You should take breaks at home as well. You can go for a short walk or have a snack. Be sure to communicate if you will be gone for a couple of minutes and make it back by the time you said you’d return.

7. Enjoy It

There are numerous great things about working from home. You get to work in your pajamas and handle things at home. You’ll also be able to run errands you wouldn’t normally be able to complete during the day. Enjoy the perks while you have them.

Working from home can help keep you safe during these scary times. Take the opportunity if given to you. These tips will help you be the most effective employee while not actually going into the office.