The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted different industries across the world, changing how and where we work. 

During the earlier months of the pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders forced employers to send employees home.

With limited space and unprecedented circumstances, some had to get creative with their work-from-home spaces. 

Working from home presented new challenges to many workers, where in many cases personal and professional lives have had to merge.

Here are five takeaways from working from home:

1. Separating Work Life and Home Life
If you don’t have a home office, experts say to establish a separate work area and avoid working from a bed. It’s also important to keep work and your personal life separate.

2. Multitasking 
Maura Thomas, a leading expert on attention management, told Forbes, that multitasking isn’t realistic. A task list can help keep people on track, but it’s best to keep the tasks small, specific and action-oriented. 

3. Time management
Limit your notifications to improve workflow. Notifications from emails, texts, social media, etc… can be a distraction, says Forbes. 

4. Using the right tools
It’s important to have proper equipment to ease the transition from workplace to home. Cloud-based storage systems, and video-conferencing programs like Zoom, have made it easier to share information remotely.

5. Breathe
Experts recommend taking breaks, scheduling time to do things you enjoy like read a book, stream a playlist, or go for a walk.

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