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As a freelance writer, I work on my own most of the time. I've gotten used to being distracted, fitting in social interaction where I can and dealing with all the other realities of working from home. Since many are now being asked to do the same, due to COVID-19 and the push for "social distancing," I thought I'd share some tips.

When you work from home, you will immediately start doing things that aren't acceptable in an office. These include undoing your jeans before you've reached the bathroom, asking the dog questions, like, "how does this sentence sound?" and having mini dance parties to Lizzo because you need a mood boost, breaking out your "best" moves (these are actually your most embarrassing moves, but when you let yourself go like that, you feel transcendent, like you're starring in your very own Hallmark movie and it's the part where you're going through an incredible transformation). These are understandable behaviors but you must - must - remember to ditch these habits once you're back in public, especially the bathroom one.

Working at home gives you flexibility, and that's great. But flexibility often means that instead of finishing a project due in mere hours, you might decide to take advantage of your malleable schedule and super quickly clean out the entire attic, an "equally crucial task." You will, I repeat WILL, fall prey to this form of productive procrastination - but still very much procrastination - at least once, if not many times, and never learn your lesson. You will have a nice, clean attic. You will also have a staggering amount of work to complete as you, you know, decided not to do it earlier.

On a related, but less productive note, you might accidentally watch two entire seasons of "Homeland" because everyone has been telling you how good it is for years, and don't you deserve to put aside your obligations and spend a few, or a few hundred, hours doing something relaxing? Don't we "only live once?" And isn't this the last season of "Homeland" and you'd better watch it before everyone gives everything away?

If you're like me, you've got to talk to someone at least once a day. Call your mom, dad, a sibling or good friend. Tell the person you're just calling to check in and that there's no rush to call back in a lighthearted tone. Then text to ensure they got the message, know you're "not going anywhere - haha!" and do, indeed, call you back.

Text threads are an absolute lifeline despite the fact that some friends say they are "really annoying," and you can basically hear their eye-rolls through the screen of your phone (if they haven't spelled out their feelings clearly using the actual eye-roll emoji).

When you work at home, you're the manager of your own schedule. I like to segment my day into blocks, then write it all down in my planner to be checked off as I go. Inevitably, mindlessly scrolling Twitter (or whatever your social media poison) will eat up 60 - 95 percent of the first work block that occurs after lunch, when you have given up on responsibility and are trying to avoid ripping into the M&Ms sitting there like a siren in your pantry, then eating them (all) while you watch "Homeland." It's best to accept that this afternoon slump is going to happen no matter what, and schedule that work block for something non-demanding, like: "deleting the 5,000 marketing emails I get daily from Old Navy."

Sometimes, especially on a heavy news day - which, I mean, is all of them - you're going to want to bring your laptop into bed and do your work while you watch CNN (or listen to talk radio if you're one of those restrained individuals who doesn't have a television in the bedroom). This is fine, and while you're at it, take your pants off to amp up the comfort level. We really do "only live once!" It's also totally acceptable if you switch to "Friends" reruns after a while to de-stress.

Coffee at 3 pm. Every day. No exceptions. You might counter with something like, "no way, coffee at that hour will affect my sleeping," but I am here to tell you that you need that afternoon caffeine boost, for the energy necessary to close the Twitter tab/turn off "Homeland"/stop de-cluttering the pillow cases in-an-effort-to-be-more-minimalist, especially when you don't have coworkers to keep you in line. But also, when you work by yourself, you begin to really look forward to the small but comforting rituals associated with being social. And hey, why not make it "social," or at least social-distancing-appropriate? You have your coffee at your house, I'll have mine over here, and we'll raise our glasses in solidarity as we get through these uncertain times. Together, but separate, here to keep each other as virtual company, and provide reminders about how to behave in pubic when this is all over.

- Cara McDonough

Cara McDonough is freelance writer whose work has been published inTheWashingtonPost,McSweeney's,The Philadelphia Inquirer, Salon,The Boston GlobeandHuffPost.She also posts regularly on her blog,www.caramcduna.com,about important subjects like "Law and Order: SVU" and, one time, about incontinence. She lives with her family in Hamden, Connecticut.