So school is starting back and with COVID a good work from home set up is essential. As someone who has been exclusively working from home for about a year and a half, I have a few quick tips and tricks I've learned from grad school for ensuring a successful and productive semester.

Set up space and ambiance. Setting the mood will trick your mind into being productive every time. Dedicate a space away from your bed so you don’t bring work into your rest space. I recommend an office space or desk, to keep your work consolidated. I also make my way to the floor often, but in the same workspace, my desk is in. Also, light helps with mood and a positive mindset. So, light a candle, get a nice lamp with a daylight bulb, and tons of windows. If you can't get near windows, make sure you get about 30 minutes of daylight a day to help with serotonin levels. Lastly, if you need your space to stay neat, ensure that you dedicate a space for everything you need. If clutter doesn’t bother you, try to keep a nice space to try something new.
Organize your time. If you don’t tell your time where to go, you’ll have your time telling you where to go. Put together a schedule. I recommend adding your course times and dedicated study times to your google calendar, so you never miss class times. (Hint: add the zoom links to the calendar so you just click and join the course.) With this, also, give yourself dedicated work times. Know when to stop working, so you don’t become a work-a-holic.
Try to work un-bothered. Distracted working makes it take much longer to get tasks completed. Work under time blocks that dedicate specific times to different tasks. Turn on background music, preferably without words, and knock out tasks. I don't recommend listening to podcasts or watching anything, as these split your effort for concentration.
Set weekly planning meetings. I use a very minimalistic bullet journal system coupled with the top 3 methods to organize my entire life. Once a week, I put in my weekly objectives, and categorize them into the course of the next days. As things are completed, I mark them off the list, so by Friday, I have a record of my productivity. Whether using a bullet journal or a planner, ensure that you are planning out your week and objectives to make your organized time productive.
Deeply enforce a work-life balance. Go to class. Study. Do all of your assignments early and on time. BUT never forget to have fun. Take advantage of not having to travel. Collaborate where you can virtually. Pick up a side hobby outside. Learn to garden. Whatever it is that you like to do for a release, that’s COVID permitting, do it!

It’s just that simple. With a formulated workspace, a solid schedule, planning sessions, and boundaries between work and life. You can crush the semester with a breeze.

For those who are teaching from home/have smaller children, enforce these same principles, but modify them for your child’s needs. Ensure that they have a workspace that’s clear from their favorite distractions. Plan out their weekly objectives. Make them work during dedicated times on a schedule so they can anticipate playtime, and let them play when they’re not working. While it may be different, we all can still succeed while social distancing and taking care of business from the comfort of our own homes.