As coronavirus spreads around the world, more companies are urging their employees to work from home. Sony closed offices in London, Paris and Gdynia, Poland, on Wednesday. Twitter announced this week that it was “strongly encouraging” its 5,000 global workforce not to come into the office. Google’s European headquarters in Dublin are empty as its staff of 8,000 work from home to avoid spreading the virus.

But how best to work from home if you’ve never done it before? The experts weigh in.

Be prepared

“Engage with the possibility that you might need to work from home now, rather than on day one of having to do it,” suggests Matthew Knight of Leapers, a community that supports the mental health of freelancers and the self-employed. “Make sure you have all the technology you’ll need set up already, so you’re set to go from day one.”

Don’t neglect your wellbeing

If you aren’t in quarantine, try not to spend all day cooped up indoors. “Get out of the house at least once a day,” advises Anna Codrea-Rado, the founder of the Professional Freelancer, a newsletter and community for self-employed workers, and co-host of the Is This Working? podcast. “Even if it’s just going to the shops. You’ll get cabin fever otherwise.”

Make sure you are taking proper breaks. “One of the joys of working from home is that you can cook a proper meal,” says Codrea-Rado. If you’re worried that people will think you’re slacking, tell your co-workers that you’re logging off for lunch, to avoid being disturbed.

Set boundaries between work and home life

Codrea-Rado encourages you to not work from your sofa, or worse still, your bed. “Have a dedicated place to work, even if it’s just the end of your kitchen table,” she says. “It helps you get in the mind frame of work. If you don’t, it muddies the boundaries between home life and work life – working from your sofa all day and then sitting there watching TV doesn’t feel as relaxing.”

But don’t feel you need to put on a suit. “People say don’t work in your pyjamas,” she adds. “But I really disagree with that. The beauty of working from home is that you don’t have to think about the optics of how you’re working, you just have to focus on getting your work done.”

Establish ground rules

Many of the people working from home due to coronavirus will usually work from offices. To make the transition as smooth as possible, Corea-Rado advises managers to establish ground rules. “Set the tone for how the team is going to work from home,” she says. “Schedule regular one-to-one check-ins and explain how and when you’d like people to report back to you.”

If you feel lonely, reach out to people

Although it is tempting to just send an email, Knight advises making the effort to call co-workers or employees whenever you can, particularly if you are a manager, to check in on their mental wellbeing. “Ask them how they are doing and really listen to the answer,” he says.

If you’re feeling low, let people know. “Don’t just suffer in silence,” he says. “Let your manager or co-workers know how you’re feeling. Nine times out of 10, sharing how you’re feeling with people really helps.”