You’ve been dreaming of this day ever since you started working. That fabulous life of waking up and working in your jammies all day from your own humble abode. You get to skip out on the pesky morning traffic, your grouchy boss, those darn office politics, and most importantly, the brown colored water in your office they call “coffee”. Seems like a great way to work, right? Wrong. It’s actually way harder than it seems. Working from home is a luxury that is earned because your boss trusts you and it’s important not to take advantage of this newfound freedom.

Here is some insight on how to work from home like a boss:

Routine is Important

When you first start working from home, it can be a little overwhelming. Where do you start first? How do you prioritize your tasks? When do you take your breaks? Can you even take breaks? The best thing you can do for the first couple of weeks is develop a routine that suits you. If you get up and immediately start working, it sets the tone for the day and determines how productive you will be. Plus, if you’re up before everyone gets in the office, it gives you the chance to get ahead. If you have children that need to be picked up from daycare, write down all the things you need to get done before you leave to go pick them up. Try setting an alarm for an hour and then take a five-minute break to succumb to one of the many distractions around your house – like laundry or putting away the dishes. Get into a groove that works best with your schedule and stick to it!

Get Out of Those Pajamas!

Staying in your pajamas while working from home makes it easy to succumb to getting back into bed. Don’t be lazy – change into something you would wear if you were going into the office. Dress for success!

Take Care of Your Distractions Before You Start

Distractions. Your children, the television, your loud neighbors, the doorbell ringing, household chores, and your phone are all great examples of why it’s so hard to work from home. Take care of them beforehand. Make a point to only use your phone for work-related calls, drop your kids off at daycare, keep the television off, and do NOT answer that door! If you must, reward yourself with 5 minutes of distraction time – that is, if you get your important tasks done.

Get Your Own Office Space

Just because you’re not in the office doesn’t mean you can’t create your own workspace at home! Create an office out of a spare room in your house or if you can’t do that, find a clean, quiet space to do your work. Having your own space keeps the distractions at bay.

Work {Away} from Home

Yes, it’s called “work from home” but you don’t actually have to be at home. In fact, getting out of your house and working in libraries, coffee shops, or anywhere else with Wi-Fi, gives you the feeling of still being in a working environment, plus you’ll be in a space where the coffee is good! It also gets you away from all the distractions at home. Get out of the house – grab your work necessities and head on over to the closest Starbucks stat!

Take Many Breaks – Seriously!

If you have been working all day long without any breaks, then you’ll burn out fast. Get some fresh air – take a ten-minute walk around your house or go get a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop. Take time to recharge yourself so you’re ready to crush the next couple of hours.

Working from home is a lot tougher than it seems and it’s hard not to get sucked into all the distractions. If you’re new to working from home and you’re having a difficult time adjusting to all the distractions around you, read this article to help you stay focused.