Whether you’re new to working from home or you’ve been a remote employee for years, there’s most likely room for improvement when it comes to your home office. Taking some time to create the right environment for conducting business will not only help your productivity, but will put you in a better frame of mind.

Erie Insurance offers the following tips to help optimize your home-office space and your remote work routine: 

1. Start by choosing a dedicated, private work area. While laptops and mobile devices enable us to take our work from the kitchen table to the living room sofa (maybe even to bed!), a designated work space will help you tune out distractions and create work/life boundaries so that you can be more productive.

2. Find some natural light. Try to avoid setting up your home office in a dark basement or windowless room. Natural light is key to brightening your mood and increasing productivity. And if you’re relegated to a cubicle at your company location, working from home gives you a great chance to get that window office! So take advantage of being at home and set up shop near a window or two.

3. Avoid being too close to the kitchen. Working from home can wreak havoc on your diet with non-stop, easy access to the fridge. Try to choose an office area that puts some distance between you and the kitchen, and stock your desk with some healthy snack options before you begin your workday, including a big bottle of water to stave off cravings.

4. Have your planning tools in place. To make sure you stay on task and aren’t lured away from work by the temptations of being home, be sure to keep your daily and weekly tasks organized by having the right tools in your office space: calendars, appointment books, a white board, etc. This will help create a visual reminder in addition to your digital calendars and reminder apps.

5. Plan for screen breaks. One of the potential hazards of working from home is that you’ll spend more time on your computer than you would in an office environment where welcome interruptions from coworkers and conference-room meetings give your eyes and mind a break. Set a timer on your phone to remind you to get up from your desk for a quick stroll, or step outside to make and take phone calls. Planning socially distanced, in-person lunches or coffee with colleagues in the area will help you feel more connected as well.