Science-backed tips for settling into your new work-from-home routine

For most people, the novelty of working remotely is wearing off. For a few days, it might have been nice to wake up, forego some of your normal morning routine, and sit in your PJs all day (or to engage in the “business on top, party on the bottom” style required to get through Zoom meetings).

But if you’re working from home, it’s time to recognize that this is the new normal for at least the next couple of months. And while it’s good to remember that remote work is a privilege, it can still be a challenging transition, especially if you are contending with tight spaces and additional distractions. Luckily there are some science-backed tips that can help you adjust:

FOCUS ON HABITS

First, you need to develop a set of actual habits. Research on habitsdemonstrates a simple two-part formula: consistent mapping and repetition. That is, whenever you perform a behavior repeatedly in an environment, you will ultimately be able to remember what you are supposed to do rather than having to think about it.

That means that you need to develop some consistency to your work routine at home. That doesn’t mean that your routine needs to be the same as it was when you were going into the office. If you have children at home, then you will have to work around their schedule. But, creating a schedule for you and for them will help everyone (even infants and toddlers) to be able to predict how the day is going to go.

Creating habits means picking a particular place you are going to use as a workspace and sticking with it. One advantage to having a dedicated workspace is that it becomes associated with doing work, so that eventually you sit at the workspace and you develop a mindset to be at work.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PROFESSIONAL, YOU HAVE TO LOOK PROFESSIONAL

The next thing you want to do is to create an attitude of work from the outside in. A lot of times, we assume that it is important to feel that something is the right thing to do before we do it. But, one way that any set of behaviors becomes comfortable is by doing them.

That means that it is time to go back to dressing professionally again. Shower, shave, take care of your skin and face. Do all of the things that you would do if you were going to be around an office full of people—even if the only one who sees you is your pet. That will make you feel more like you’re being professional.