Most of us find ourselves in a new situation where we are working from home at the moment. Maybe for a few weeks, maybe for a few months, in any case it's good to create some routine and redesign your 'work life'. Working from home isn’t a vacation, it’s work. So set your alarm, have a shower and get dressed like you normally would. We're all for comfortable outfits but leave the pyjamas and robes in the bedroom please. If you usually have breakfast before work, do the same. Tired of oat milk with cereal? Try out our Nootropic Chiapod or Nootropic Smoothie Bowl Recipe.

Create a work space — You need a place where you can go in your home. Never post up on the couch. Preferably sit on a desk in a spare room or a quiet corner, but if you're limited with space, create a little spot somewhere that is your own, disconnected from family, pets, and distractions. Don’t do anything in this space you wouldn’t do at work. Don’t turn on the TV, don’t blast heavy metal (unless that's your go-to). Put yourself in the same mental state you’d be in your office.

Make a to do list — Plan your day ahead so you know exactly what your schedule is gonna be, and there's little time to zone out and grab your phone for an hour of social media scrolling. Use lists or plan everything in your (online) calendar. This ensures you remain focused on what needs to be done, and don't spend too much time on one task. Don't forget to plan in breaks to get up and go for a walk and have your lunch.

Use tools — Use Slack. Use Trello. Use a pen and paper. Write your own scripts to notify folks of what you’re working on. You can connected multiple services using the Slack API in order to post news to special rooms so everyone knows what’s breaking. In the office days you could shout out “Wow, look at what happened.” Now, using tools, you can tell everyone what happened instantly. Worried about not getting enough done or spending too much or little on certain projects? Track your time with Harvest.

Don’t nap — Like we said before, don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in a cubicle. Don’t nap, don’t drink booze, and indulge in cosplay (during office hours). If we’re going to survive working from home and remain productive we need to treat our home office like an office. Imagine your webcam is always on and your co-workers are watching you. Are you going to doze off with your pants off? I hope not.

Create a healthy environment — Get a standing desk. Put a treadmill under it. Don’t hit the kitchen every five minutes. Go for walks. The problem with working from home is that you never have those brief interludes between home and car, parking lot and office, etc. Get some exercise in while you work.

Snack in moderation — If you've fallen victim to some serious panic buying, it's pretty tempting to open those cupboards every 30 mins. Make sure you have some healthy snacks on hand and try to listen to your body. Not hungry? Don't eat.

Create a cut-off — So, this is important. The cut-off is a point when you walk down the stairs from your home office and re-enter your home. Once that happens, everything work-related is off. Don’t check your phone, don’t sit down to your computer. Read a book. Cook dinner. Go for a walk. Take the dog. Drink a glass of wine or Ārepa, this might be the easiest time to go booze free for a couple of weeks.

Still a bit anxious about working from home? Try our blog on managing stress and anxiety.