Are you like the thousands of employees who have found themselves working remotely during this COVID-19 pandemic? If so, how’s it going? It can be challenging if you’ve never worked from home. The remote team of Lindsey Pollak and Eileen Coombes recently gave INC.com a few tips to keep your team’s productivity and morale high.

1. Cut yourself a break. Working from home is a transition. Find what works for you whether that is setting scheduled “in-office” hours and break times, turning on a white noise machine or app to reduce noise, or buying new furniture for your office to make you the most comfortable and productive.
2. Overcommunicate. As the author says, it’s their “default advice on communication in general, but it’s even more important when you are working remotely.” It starts with how your team can reach you (email, call, text, Zoom, Slack, Skype, etc.) and when (in the morning, evening, weekend).
3. Clarify Expectations. This especially holds true today since many projects and plans have changed because of the coronavirus. Don’t let people make assumptions about anything that’s unclear. Instead, answer those questions. Then follow-up on the progress with your employees.
4. Create a company-wide sharing system. If you don’t already have one, now is a good time to put one in place. For documents and other files, try Google Drive or Dropbox. “Don’t scatter team files across email, Google Docs, and your personal hard drive. Consolidate.” For communication, look into Skype, Zoom, or Slack. Don’t forget to keep up more casual communication habits. If you chat with a coworker about the show you both watched the night before, do the same remotely. “Try to follow the same rituals and habits to maintain relationships and a sense of normalcy.”
5. As for feedback on your remote situation. “Especially if you are new to working remotely, ask your colleagues for regular feedback on how the situation is working out.” This will help you now and in the future if you ever find yourself working remotely again.

Find more tips and tricks from Inc. here. And good luck with making this transition.