Whether you’re a working from home pro or you’re new to the game, RIBA has shared its top tips for adapting to a life of remote working for the foreseeable future.

Whilst for some this might be a total dream, others might be finding this transition tricky. Regardless of which camp you fall into it’s important to build a routine and set some boundaries whilst working at home to help keep you feeling happy, healthy and productive.

Maintain set working hours
It’s easy to lose track of time when you work from home and research has shown that people tend to work an average of two hours longer! Try and keep to normal working hours, starting and finishing at the same time and taking your regular lunch break. Be sure to turn your laptop and work phone off or store them away at the end of the day so you’re not tempted to check your emails. The more you stick to this the more of a habit you’ll be in, and it’ll become easier each day!

Have a to do list
Structure your day. When you are working from home you have to be your own manager and therefore you have to manage your productivity (and potentially those in your team). At the end of each day, look at everything you have achieved and write your to do list and goals for the following day. There’s nothing more satisfying than ticking off jobs on a list, no matter how small they are!

Make a dedicated work area
When deciding where you are going to be working in your home, the best thing to do is to find somewhere that is separate from where you relax. Try and make yourself your own designated working area, even if you don’t have the luxury of a separate room, create yourself a little area with a table and chair – optimise your environment and keep your desk space and area as tidy as possible.

Take breaks
At the office you wouldn’t sit at your desk solidly from 9-5, so make sure you get up and stretch your legs every so often, even if it’s just to go and make a cup of tea! Take a full lunch hour and enjoy an activity that’s away from your desk or laptop -go for a walk (if you’re well) to get your daily dose of Vitamin D, have a little boogie to some music or just call a friend so you’re not tempted to sit at your laptop all day.

Stay connected
It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re not able to leave the house very often so make sure you stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Make video calls part of your daily routine and not just to chat about work, try hosting a virtual team lunch or after work drinks to keep morale up!

Upskill
Use the additional time you’ve gained from not commuting to take up or improve your skillset. Look for online training courses or webinars that will be beneficial to your job and you can add to your CV – perhaps you’ll be able to go for that promotion when all this is over!

Exercise
With the majority of our day now being spent indoors, it’s important to stay active. It will help to get those endorphins flowing and can be a real mood booster. Lots of gyms and studios are now offering free online classes making it easy to get your daily fix of exercise, from gentle yoga flows to high tempo HIIT sessions. Check out Sports England for a handy list of online exercise platforms and free content!