If you’ve started a new job that is currently remote or one that is permanently remote, you’re not alone. In a recent LinkedIn survey, 20% of 750-plus respondents said they’ve never met their co-workers in person.

Starting a new job is hard enough. But starting a new job fully remote, you may be asking yourself: how will I navigate this completely unknown space on top of the fact that I am doing it from home?

It’s natural that we find ourselves in this mental space as we navigate starting work remotely: we’re entering a new, unknown situation and naturally, right off the bat we feel the need to prove ourselves. In a physical office, navigating these new circumstances would be easier. We would meet people face to face, find our desk and chat with our new neighbors, be able to pull co-workers aside and ask questions, have lunch together, and find other people with shared interests and responsibilities.

Fully remote, none of these opportunities are easily available— at first glance. It almost feels like we’re playing chess with half the pieces. But don’t focus too much on what you don’t know; focus more on the information you do have. Shift your energy to what you can understand and control, and go from there. Ask questions, and absorb information as best you can.

Fast forward a few weeks and you’ll feel engaged with work, involved with your team, and secure in the commitments you make to your co-workers and superiors.

Here are some of the things that can make a world of difference when starting a new job fully remote:

Create a Space for Work

If you’re working from home, carve out an area that you can use only when working — ideally, this is a room you can turn into a home office, but there are other options that work. It could be a corner in the living room, the dining room table, or something else. You should avoid the bedroom (as you’ll associate the room with working, instead of resting), and find a place you can go that allows you to get into the right headspace for work.

Invest in your home office decor and perhaps even a standing desk to bring something fresh and exciting to the experience of working. Keep a paper notebook handy too, to jot down personal thoughts, ideas, or to-dos that might clutter digital note files.

Find what works for you, and invest in it — even if it’s just investing emotionally. You’re taking control over the way you experience work; it takes up at least half of your waking hours, so you might as well make it gratifying and exciting.

Working in a hybrid environment? Check out these tips instead.

Build Healthy Time Management Habits

We’re used to our work hours being book-ended, usually by the commute between home and workplace. When those transitional moments aren’t available, and our work desk is ten paces away from the TV, the boundaries between work and rest become blurry, and work tends to spill over into our home lives quite easily.

Working from home — and especially starting out at a new company where you feel compelled to prove your worth — you might subconsciously rationalize extending your working hours, to push just a little bit further. But in the long term this will take a toll on the motivation you feel towards work, so don’t fall into old or new habits of overworking.

If your company’s culture does not prescribe a work schedule, create your own — making sure it overlaps co-workers’ work schedules. Set personal and work boundaries. Use your work app’s quiet mode so that outside of work hours, it reminds you that your notifications will be silenced until the next morning, and lets your co-workers know you won’t see their message right away.

Make an effort each day to keep your focus while maintaining healthy habits, like stretching and drinking water. Create a daily routine. Consider the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes of uninterrupted work, with five-minute breaks throughout the work day.

Make the Most of What you’re Given

Use onboarding sessions to understand the company’s core mission, and the way it tackles the problems it sets out to solve. Schedule 15-minute meetings to get to know new co-workers — and don’t be afraid to ask tons of questions.

When talking to your manager, ask what is expected of you in the first few weeks and months, so that you know what your priorities should be. Once you know your high-level expectations, list out everything that comes to your mind as to-do items. Once you’ve captured all those ideas, categorize them as “Do right now,” “Pick up when possible,” “For when I have free time.” When looking for something to do, always start from that top category.

Review your list daily, shuffle things around as needed, add stuff often — and proudly cross items off. Be warned: your list will never go away. And that’s okay. Success won’t be measured by the lack of to-do items, since every day on the job means more stuff to do. Success is what you’ve accomplished when you plan ahead and work smarter instead of harder.

Final Thoughts

Working remotely is definitely a different set of circumstances than you’re probably used to — especially when it comes to onboarding — but these circumstances aren’t necessarily bad. As you go along, try making a few changes in the way you tackle your work day, and keep the ones that work. You’re only bringing the baggage you choose to carry into your new role: pack the good stuff, and drop the stuff that didn’t work. Embracing this mindset will help you make the most out of the opportunity when you accept a job offer in a remote setting.

Are you a manager of fully remote employees? Check out the traits of a great remote or hybrid work manager.