Remote work might sound pretty amazing, but the reality is that working from home comes with its own set of unique challenges. While there are benefits a-plenty—from a flexible schedule to a strong work/life balance—the reality is that working remotely can be a double-edged sword. To better understand the most common challenges in this type of work, we surveyed more than 17,000 designers and asked them to identify their top concerns and obstacles when it comes to working remotely. Have no fear, slipper-donned designers, we rustled up five tips to overcome the most challenging WFH hurdles. The most challenging hurdle in our path? Separating work from personal time.

When work is home, and home is work, it can be hard to separate the two—especially in the age of smartphones where we can carry work around in our pockets.

SET UP BOUNDARIES

It’s crucial to set up boundaries when it comes to signing off from work and being present in your personal life. Turning off your notifications after hours is one of the easiest, and best ways to separate work from play. Limit any Slack, e-mail, or project management app notifications to your work hours, so that you’re not being pinged after hours and pulled back into work mode.

CLARIFY YOUR WORK HOURS

Always communicate with your team when you’re signing on and offline. At Dribbble, we have a dedicated Slack channel to announce when we’re coming online or heading offline for the day. When you’re on a fully remote team, it’s important that you create clarity with your team as to when you will or won’t be responsive to their messages.

CREATE RITUALS

In addition to having set working hours, you can also create a start-of-the-day and end-of-the-day-ritual. When starting or ending your day, having a routine that you habitually keep to, whether it be a walk around the block, reading a chapter of a book, listening to a podcast, or meditating for five minutes, can help serve as a physical signal to your body that the workday is done, and help you shift your focus back to your life at home.

ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS

There’s no shortage of distractions at home; whether it be the temptation of the fridge, your dog scratching at your office door, or the pile of laundry you’ve been meaning to fold for days. Staying present and focused at work when there are distractions a-plenty is no easy feat. (Our friends at rocketship.fm address this in their podcast on making time). Staying focused in a remote environment isn’t about willpower or discipline; it’s about beating distractions and re-configuring technology and your environment so it’s easier to stay focused.

Cultivating an awareness around what triggers you to become distracted, and what works for your attention and energy is key to building a remote work environment and routine that will set you up for productivity and success.

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With so many designers now working from the comfort of their own homes, it’s worth making sure that your home office set up is conducive to the great work you’re shipping. Now, we’re not saying you can’t work from the comfort of your couch, but if you’re going to work from home on even a semi-regular basis, there are a handful of different aspects you’ll need to think about in order to work at your best and avoid the common pitfalls of working remotely.

Luke Pettit, content writer for Remote-How, lays out the top considerations to create an ideal home workspace in which every designer can thrive…lighting very much included. First things first, you need to find the primo spot to carve out your space by utilizing the four Ds: demands, distractions, dimensions, and desirability.

DEMANDS

Demands include having a suitable area for visiting clients (if that’s part of your job), access to a physical connection with your router, and an appropriate place for making video or conference calls.

DISTRACTIONS

Distractions should also be taken into consideration. If you share your home during the working day with family members or housemates, distractions can occur. Think about where you are least likely to be interrupted, but also fulfills any demands that are required for your working space.

DIMENSIONS

Dimensions are also important, as you may need more space for certain jobs and tasks. When working with just a laptop, it can be easy to make do in smaller areas. However, things can easily become cluttered when working with physical documents or materials. Having enough space for all the tools you need as a designer is important, especially when working with physical materials and not just within software. You’ll probably need more space than you think! Also make sure that you feel physically comfortable in your home office, aren’t too cramped, and have enough room to breathe and stretch.

DESIRABILITY

Desirability is another aspect to consider when choosing your space. You may have a certain room that gets better sunlight or has a nicer view. Choosing somewhere desirable is likely to have a positive impact on your productivity and also your mental well-being.

You’ll probably struggle to try and fulfill every requirement when setting up your home office space. Try to strike a balance between the demands that have to be met and the other factors that will make your desk a pleasant place to work!