I didn’t always have a design studio in Riverton. When I left my full-time job to focus on SG23 Design I had a home office for years. As an introvert, I didn’t expect the transition to be so challenging. If you’re in the same boat, I’ve got some tips that will make working from home a bit more tolerable.

1. Create some separation

If possible, don’t put your desk in the bedroom. I can’t tell you how depressing it can be to spend the whole day in the same room. Also, it’s unhealthy to think of work as soon as you wake up. It’s also tough to completely shut down and get a good night’s rest when your work area is too accessible.

If you don’t have space for a desk in another part of your home, try to work at the kitchen or dining room table to change up the scenery a bit. The advantage is that at the end of the day you can leave that room and mentally “leave work.”

2. Background Noise

Honestly, I like to work around other people, but in general I don’t like for others to talk to me that much while I’m working. I was the type of person that would put on noise canceling headphones without any music on just so I wouldn’t be disturbed. I work more efficiently when I can really focus for several hours straight without interruption.

However, when I started working from home it was just too quiet. I figured out what worked for me depending on what I was working on. If I was drafting, sketching or reviewing samples I would listen to podcasts, interviews or reruns of shows that I’d seen a million times (since I didn’t need to pay close attention). If I was writing emails (or blog posts) I would listen to music without lyrics—jazz or classical. Experiment and see what works best for you, depending on what you’re working on.

3. Get some sun

The first few years that I worked from home, my desk was facing a wall because I felt that I needed to face my pin up board for inspiration. I slowly realized that I didn’t change my pin-up board all that much—in fact I rarely acknowledged it. So I rearranged some things and put my desk on the window wall (my home office used to be in the sunroom). What a difference it made! I was in a much better mood, it forced me to look up from my computer screen and I became more efficient with my time because I saw the day progress. To make things even better, there was a flower box outside the window right in front of my desk, so I saw a hummingbird check the flowers twice a day (I named it Howard). That gave me something tiny, but impactful to look forward to each day.

Working from home can be a bigger transition than you think. The great thing is that since it’s your home you have a lot more control over how you work as opposed to being in an office.