There are plenty of perks to working from home. You can enjoy flexible hours, spend time in an office designed to suit you exactly, and get that much more done, since you won’t be commuting.

But without serious boundaries, it can also mean that your office seeps into your home, and you can come unhinged quite quickly without limits in place. Here are some tips to avoid that happening.

Create a Space Dedicated to Work

If you don’t do this, your whole house will end up becoming the workspace! Treat yourself when you’re creating an office, too.

Go for the standing desk and the anti-fatigue mat now that you can, and enjoy the fact that you’ve got carte blanche in deciding on what comes in to this space.

Set Your Hours

Now that your don’t have to work from 9-5 like you would otherwise, you can set your own hours.

Whatever you decide on, however, make sure you stick to it. Otherwise it’s just too easy to have your home and work lives bleed in to one another and cause chaos.

Take a Lunch Break

Without a group of coworkers heading out to grab a bite to eat, or even a line starting to form at the microwave in the breakroom, you may forget to stop for a meal.

Block time out for your lunch for one, and schedule your work around it. As relaxed and flexible as working at home should feel, staying fuelled-up is a non-negotiable.

There’s No Compromise On Off-Days

When your home is doubling up as your office, it’s easy to sit down on a Saturday or Sunday to do just one quick thing. The next thing you know, you day off has vanished! While working on weekends may sometimes be necessary, so is taking time off to recharge. Your productivity and energy levels will thank you if you sleep in, enjoy betting sites, indulge in a little series-bingeing, or the like, and just have a little fun.

Stay Hydrated

The fabled water cooler is not just a pop-culture exaggeration, and really does offer a wonderful spot to grab something to drink and have a chat with your coworkers.

The former is by far the biggest benefit, and you may slacken on your water intake without it. Keep a big bottle of water on your desk and sip it throughout the day to combat the negative impact of dehydration.

Put Some Pants On

This is another important way in which you can separate your work and home lives. Make a point of putting some work clothes on. This hardly means a power suit and full makeup, but it does mean getting a bit groomed and ready to face the day. Your work outfit could be your favourite old t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants, or even a onesie, which is fine, as long as it’s not what you slept in. More power to you if your wardrobe is made up of the world’s most comfortable workout clothes! Just make sure you have at least a decent top to wear in the case of video meetings…