With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many employees have found their work lives altered drastically. To protect their workers from the virus, a large amount of companies have requested their staff to work from home. While remote work may initially sound appealing, many people are quickly finding that the novelty of working from home has already worn off.

If you are an employee in this position, you may find yourself sifting through a myriad of emotions these days. You may be bored, anxious, lonely, isolated, or possibly even depressed. Trying to carry out the everyday demands of your job in this uncertain environment can take its toll on your productivity, and ultimately, your health.

Luckily, there are several things that you can do to mitigate the impact this COVID-19 situation has on your work.

Set Up a Comfortable and Functional Workspace

As you’ll be spending several hours a day working, you want to ensure your workspace is relaxing while also functional for carrying out your work duties. Try to position your desk near a window to let sunlight in so you can have a physical connection to the outdoors and feel less housebound. Light a candle with a scent that you associate with joy, such as the beach, pine trees, or even chocolate.

Keep items unrelated to work off your desk to prevent distractions. Close out of all personal social media accounts during the times that you need to be productive. Keeping in touch with families and friends is important during this time, but it is easy to slip down the rabbit hole of social media and constant news updates.

Take Frequent Breaks

You may find that working alone increases your ability to focus. While productivity can be a great thing, prevent mental and physical burnout by remembering to take frequent breaks. Designate specific times to take fifteen-minute breaks for a quick walk around the block, a cup of coffee from the kitchen, or a phone call to a friend.

By incorporating break times into your work schedule, you can utilize your time more efficiently while working and have a distinct break time that helps you separate from work for a few minutes.

Connect with Coworkers for a Quick Virtual Meeting

Chances are that your coworkers are feeling the same lack of motivation that you are. Consider scheduling daily ten-minute check-ins at the start of the day with your coworkers via Zoom, Google Hangout, or any other platform.

This ten-minute check-in will give you and your coworkers a chance to have human contact for a bit while also swapping solutions for challenges you are facing.

Working from home, especially if you live by yourself, is an abrupt change to most people’s usual work routine. You may feel like the hours are crawling by but remember that working from home is a temporary solution. In the near future you will be returning to the office, and until then, enjoy sending e-mails in your pajamas.