For many, working from home is a reality in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, and you may suddenly find yourself struggling to maintain the equilibrium between your personal and professional life. Navigating this balancing act can be challenging. Luckily, there are tools and strategies that can help guide you through. Here are four to consider.

Normalize the experience, be kind to yourself. Since your usual commute, morning routine, or office environment is now a thing of the past, you might be experiencing a loss of stability and normalcy. While some people may have experience working from home, working from home during a pandemic is an unfamiliar experience for everyone. As you adjust to your new work setting and routine, remind yourself to be kind to yourself and acknowledge that feelings such as anxiety, frustration, sadness, confusion, worry, and anger are normal under these unprecedented circumstances.

Create a designated "work" space. One way to ease the transition from office work to remote work is to create a physical space that can operate as your workspace. Differentiating spaces in your home for work and play can help "trick" your mind and support your transition into and out of "work mode." Try to find a space that is quiet and away from communal spaces in your home. Have a small apartment or sharing spaces with roommates or a spouse/partner? Create the illusion of separation by creating a "wall" or cubicle barrier (e.g., use a tall bookshelf or box), wear noise-canceling headphones, or try getting dressed as you normally would when going to work. To transition from work, turn your computer off at the end of your workday and put away your work materials. Use a drawer or box to put paperwork in and turn off your email notifications on your phone. By hiding your work equipment, you signal to your brain and body it is time for personal, non-work time.

Setting and maintaining boundaries. Another important part of working from home is setting professional and personal boundaries. An essential component in creating boundaries involves managing your own expectations about what you can realistically get done each day. If you are the type of person who has a hard time with this, check out this video on the steps you can take. You can also implement the Boundary Management worksheet to help remind you when you forget or struggle to maintain your boundaries. Some examples of not managing boundaries include working overtime, or through a break, or being asked to complete tasks you do not have all the resources for.

Take breaks, often and regularly. Make sure to take breaks often. There is a reason "water cooler talks" are so popular in offices. They help employees clear their minds and return to work with renewed focus and clarity. The same applies to working from home. If you are having trouble concentrating or are losing focus, take a moment and step away from your work. Try using Breath2relax to walk you step by step through mindful breathing or take a moment to do something fun. Taking breaks will help you come back to your work feeling more focused and might even inspire some creative solutions for the problem you were struggling to resolve.

Navigating your new workspace and daily routine will take time and adjustment. Utilizing these strategies is just one way to maintain that balance, but at the end of the day, practicing self-care is another. If you're struggling to focus on yourself, try using a couple of these strategies from our toolbox for help. Combining these tools with the strategies above will help set up the foundations you'll need to work from home and still be able to sleep there comfortably.