Your boss finally agreed to let you work from home. You thought it would be an easy transition, but now that you’re home, you’re unfocused, unmotivated…and packing on the pounds. Working from home is certainly an adjustment, and you need to know how to do it. Here’s how you can make working from home work for you.

Get dressed. Sure, working from home means bidding adieu to work clothes in favor of your favorite jammies. But just because you can work in your PJs doesn’t mean that you should. In fact, it can have a negative impact on your work productivity. So get dressed in casual clothes (think yoga pants and a nice, non-stained shirt) and get ready to start your workday. 

Set goals. Without a boss breathing down your neck, it can be easy to get a little loose with your deadlines. When you work at home, it’s up to you (and sometimes you alone) to stay on top of your work. Setting goals—and writing them down—is one of the easiest ways to stay on track. You can create them for the month, the week, or even the day. As you complete each task, be sure to cross it off your list and give yourself a pat on the back for a (virtual) job well done.

Stay in touch with colleagues. When you worked in an office, you couldn’t wait for the day when you could get away from your nosy coworker and bipolar boss. Now that you’re home, though, you kind of miss the office craziness. Telecommuting doesn’t mean that you’re working in a bubble. So reach out to coworkers via IM chats, email, or—gasp—the phone. Keeping the connection with your colleagues will helps assuage any feelings of loneliness.

Get physical. It’s unhealthy to sit all day—and when you work from home, you’d be surprised how much more sitting you’ll do. Get up from your chair at least every 20-30 minutes or so to stretch your legs (and back), and get in some exercise. But trips to the fridge don’t count, so put a leash on your new pet puppy and give him a good walk instead.  

Stay professional. From friends who call during the day because they know you’re home to your husband asking you to pick return the Redbox rentals, there can be a million daily distractions. Limit them by gently reminding friends and family that even though you’re home, you are working. Then stick to your words. That means not getting distracted by a little dust in your family room or throwing extra loads of laundry into the washing machine.

Be organized. You created an office space specifically so you could work from home. But now, your home office is a sea of papers, paper clips and clutter. Working in a messy environment is definitely counterproductive, so you’ll need to devise an organizational system that works well for you. Scan what you need, then shred and toss what you don’t. And don’t let your kid’s Gru action figure or other Despicable Me 2 toys creep into your space. That way, you can always keep your home office—and yourself—organized and efficient.

From cost savings on things such as commuting, lunches and work attire, working from home has so many benefits. But it can take time to adjust to working from a home office, too. So follow the above tips for telecommuting success, a career that you love and a better worklife balance.

Jennifer Parris writes about career topics for FlexJobs.com. Working Mother Media and FlexJobs have partnered to help workingmother.com readers find flexible work solutions – such as telecommuting, freelance, part-time and flexible schedule jobs –  for themselves. Learn more here.