Today marked the end of my first week working exclusively from home. My normal routine has always included working at home part of the time, but until now I’ve worked mostly in an office.

Here are my takeaways from week 1:

• Physical activity – I like being active and usually work out in a gym. Since I couldn’t do that (thanks, coronavirus), I adjusted by taking up running outside (I hate running). Surprisingly, I enjoyed the fresh air and constantly changing scenery.
• Time – Not having to take time to “get ready” and then commute was refreshing. I had more productive time.
• Social interaction – Not being around people affected me initially, but video calls and meetings provided enough social interaction for me to feel normal.
• Meals – I typically have lunch with friends or colleagues a few times every week. I didn’t care for not being able to. A friend mentioned they had done a virtual lunch via FaceTime. I haven’t tried it, but I may if this becomes the new norm.
• Focus – There are distractions at home, so I have to make more of an effort to focus on work.
• Separation – Traveling from my office to my home has always helped me shift my mindset from work to my personal life. Now, I must create that separation within my home. Having a dedicated home office has been helpful.

During this first week, anyway, working from home all the time hasn’t been as bad as I imagined. I’ve learned what I need in order to feel normal, and I look for alternatives that work in the current environment. I pay attention when people mention what they’re doing to help their teams adjust to working from home (for example, video happy hours and breakroom channels in Slack). I can't control this situation, but I can make the best of it. I plan to learn from this, adjust as necessary and share my experience with others.