Working from home can be a divisive subject, some people love the idea, while others hate it. Whereas working from home can feel like freedom to some, it can feel like unwanted isolation for others, causing problems with their productivity and blurring the line between work and play.

If you’re finding working from home hard, then you’re not alone – here are 5 tips to help you stay sane by keeping your work and home lives as separate as possible.

#1: Create Separation of Space

If you do one thing at all while working from home, you need to create a separate working space. If you already have a home office or spare room set-up, then that is obviously ideal, but if space is tight then you may need to be a little more creative. Try to find an area of your home that is a little quieter, but if that’s not possible, then focus on creating a space that you want to spend time in. If you can afford to, then it’s worth thinking about buying an ergonomic chair to keep you comfortable and be sure to have the other creature comforts that help you to get into the working zone.

#2: Stick to Normal Working Hours

A lot of employers are offering more flexible working hours to their employees while they work from home but deviating from normal working hours can make it harder to remain productive, ultimately doing you more harm than good. If you can, set yourself some working hours and then stick to them. Get up at the same time every day and stop work at the same time every day, just as though you were in an office.

#3: Get Dressed

Pyjamas and sweatpants may be comfortable but if you want to keep your work and home lives separate under one roof, then you will need to get dressed. You don’t need to sit in a suit and tie (unless that’s what motivates you) but do get dressed into proper clothes. Trust us, it helps.

#4: Take Proper Breaks

Believe it or not, working from home can actually cause us to take fewer breaks and to work longer hours. Make sure that you schedule in several breaks throughout the working day, just as you would when working from the office. Have one in the morning for a cup of tea, a good half an hour or so for lunch and another in the afternoon for a snack and a pick-me-up.

#5: Have Something to Look Forward to at the End of the Day

Finally, when working from home the days can easily start to blur into one. Rather than going straight from work to cooking dinner, doing laundry and then going to bed, try to give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. Maybe you can’t wait to read the latest novel by Daniel Handler, or you want to learn to sew, whatever it is, schedule yourself in some ‘me’ time at the end of the working day to help you switch back into home mode.

It can take a few weeks to settle into life working from home but once you do you may even come to enjoy it!