Over the past few weeks, the spread of the coronavirus has been impacting almost every industry in the country. This has led many companies to take the necessary precautions to help slow down the virus’ spread by allowing employees to work from home. However, for many, working from home can be a real challenge, especially when it comes to staying productive. Therefore, the following list includes a few ways to stay productive while working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Keep Yourself Accountable

One of the most difficult aspects of working from home is a lack of accountability. You no longer have your boss looking over your shoulders, seeing if you are up to task with your daily work. Although the feeling might be nice at first, it can quickly turn into a damaging thing. Thus, it is incredibly important to find ways to make yourself accountable for how much work you do and the time spent on it.

The first thing you can do is to “Kaizen” your routine. According to Creative Safety Supply, Kaizen is a foundational philosophy that can help any worker continuously improve their workflow. For example, if you are having trouble concentrating on certain tasks on your computer screen, then remove all items that are not essential. This may include personal e-mail notifications, social media notifications, and even your Wi-Fi connection if you’re simply typing and don’t need internet access.

Maintain Normalcy

If you are working from home, you may think that getting dressed up or putting on your makeup is a waste of time. After all, who’s going to see you, right? The fact is that normalcy is a critical component to how you feel and the type of work you put out. Pajamas are what you use to go to sleep, not work. Thus, it is important to get ready like you are going to a workplace. Wake up at the same time, have breakfast like you usually would, and use what would normally be your commuting time to spend time with family or even to get a head start on your work.

Location, Location, Location

If you have a medium-to-large family, then you understand how difficult it is to concentrate on your work. Therefore, it is incredibly important to choose an area of your home where you are sure that no one will bother you. This may include your bedroom or, as Easy Shed suggests, even outside in a shed. Areas to avoid include your living room and kitchen; these areas can be extremely loud and have people constantly walking around.

This is a very tough time for our planet and, for many, working from home will be the new norm, at least for a few months. Therefore, it is important to begin to figure out how you will continue to turn out great work for your company, even with less-than-ideal situations. Utilize the information above to start bringing back a little bit of normalcy to your work week.

Related: Balancing Act: How to Work, Write, and Get an Education