Is the coronavirus (COVID-19) fording you to work from home? This past week, sports organizations around the world have stopped play to minimize the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Broadway closed down all performances. Disney World, Disney Land, Disney Paris and Universal Studios shut their doors for the rest of the month. Even Mount Everest shut down to climbers for the rest of the year. When one of the most remote places on earth shuts down, you know the situation is serious. In light of this global pandemic, many businesses are asking their employees to self-isolate and work from home. If you are not a self-employed designer and instead work for an employer, one who is asking you to work from home here is some advice to help you through this temporary job relocation. 1) Create a work from home schedule. Working from home is very different than working in an office environment. Without a formal structure, it can be easy to lose track of time and become less productive. A schedule helps you stay on track and get your work done. And the good thing is your home schedule doesn’t have to follow your regular work schedule. You can adjust your home schedule for the times you’re most productive. If you’re not a morning person, then shift your schedule an hour or more. If your morning commute typically starts around 8 am to be at work for your 9-5 shift, why not start working at 8 am and finish at 4 pm. Eliminating the commute gives you two extra hours per day. Of course, you need to work the hours that your boss needs you to work. And be conscious of what times you may need to communicate with clients, contractors or co-workers. 2) Make a to-do list. Since working from home is out of your element, and since there’s nobody there keeping an eye on you, the best thing you can do is make yourself a to-do list and adhere to it. Identify what you need to accomplish each day and check off each task as you complete it. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, and it will hold you accountable and make sure you are using your time productively. 3) Find a dedicated work area. Find a dedicated space in your home and designate it as your “work area.” Your bed or sofa doesn’t count. Lounging on the couch with your laptop on your lap may sound pleasant and relaxing, but it doesn’t lead to productivity. In this case, your kitchen or dining room table is acceptable as a workspace if you don’t already have a desk. The more you make the area feel like a work environment, the more you’ll feel like working. Inquire if your company has any allowance or budget to help you with expenses. Sitting at a kitchen chair all day is not comfortable. Your employer may be willing to purchase or rent you a chair to use while you work from home. Or they may ship one to you from the office. The same goes for computer equipment or whatever else you need to do your job. Your employer is paying you to be productive, even when you’re working from home. They might be willing to invest a bit to ensure you can do the work properly. 4) Handling meetings while working from home. When working from home, any regular office or client meetings will most likely take place over video. Here are some tips. When in a conference call with several people, make sure you acknowledge your presence. Let people know you are there. Sure they can see your avatar or your video, but letting them know you are there tells them you are focused on the meeting. You should also acknowledge the others who are on the call. If you would typically say hi to everyone before a live meeting, do the same on a virtual one. If you are not familiar with video conferencing platforms, two that I use are Skype and Zoom. All Resourceful Designer Community chats take place over Zoom. You can also try Loom, which allows you to send video emails to people. It’s great for presenting things to your boss or clients that you would generally do in person. 5) Dealing with isolation. For someone no