There has been a fundamental shift in the way we work, with many of us now choosing to work from home, at least for part of the week. While most people appreciate the flexibility that home-working offers, it can be difficult to maintain boundaries to ensure that employees stay motivated and productive.Ella Mills is an award-winning cookery author, entrepreneur, champion of plant-based living and a YuLife Ambassador. The founder of Deliciously Ella has spent a lot of time working from home, so is well-qualified to share effective work-from-home tips for thriving in a world of Zoom calls, extended screen time and blurred work boundaries.Create and stick to a routineThe beauty of the commute is that it creates a transitional period of separation between work and home, even if you’re prone to checking your emails on the train. Working from home breaks those boundaries down, so how can you ensure your employees are using their time effectively and keeping a work-life balance?A brisk ten-minute walking break can work wonders. It'll improve your mood and can even boost your memory. A quick, rejuvenating meditation session is just as effective, and it's surprisingly easy to learn. If you happen to provide YuLife employee benefits, we are integrated with apps like Calm and Headspace, and offer YuCoin that can be traded in for great employee rewards for both walking and meditation.There's a certain pleasure in discipline, a certain happiness in routine. Get up at a usual time, stop work at the usual time, create a structure to feel better about working from home. Why not check in with employees to ensure they’re taking breaks and keeping a routine?Stay connected to othersHumans are hard-wired to be social. When we don't get the level and quality of social interactions we need, we can suffer physically and mentally. If members of your team regularly work from home, maybe you could set up a no-obligation daily meeting or ‘virtual coffee break’ on Zoom to set the scene for the day, answer people's questions, help people who are having problems, and motivate each other. You could set up a second meet-up at the end of the working day to round things off.The 'connectedness' of work is the most important motivator for many of us, the comforting feeling that we belong. YuLife's virtual leaderboards can help you maintain essential community spirit, protecting the natural connection we feel with our colleagues; 73% of Yulife members who download our app voluntarily join their leaderboard to get into the competitive spirit.Simple tips to stay fit working from homeWe are holistic beings. When our physical health is out of balance, our mental health tends to suffer as well. Luckily there are plenty of fitness videos online that cover every imaginable type of at-home exercise. YuLife recently partnered with at-home exercise platform Fiit, the number one rated fitness app, to bring you workout videos and interactive fitness communities from some of the world’s best trainers, including FiiT trainer Adrienne Herbert.YuLife’s Chief Wellbeing Officer, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, also has some really useful insights on mindfulness and relaxation, including 5 proven breathing techniques to help reduce stress.Eat well, feel wellDiet can be a real challenge when working from home. It's all too easy to fall into bad habits like snacking at odd times and eating unhealthy, albeit delicious, things.Ella recommends we batch cook and enjoy the same dish again to take the stress out of cooking and eating well. A simple, healthy veggie chilli or curry can last for a long time in the fridge (or can even be frozen), with interchangeable sides and toppings like garlic bread, yoghurt, rice or pasta.Another work-from-home tip from Ella is to be creative with your shopping; more time at home offers opportunities to experiment with new dishes, so don’t be afraid to try an exciting recipe such as Ella’s ever-popular cashew pesto pasta. Keep to the same mealtime structure, setting aside sufficient time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also, avoid eating “al-desko”; eat away from your desk, preferably at a table, to avoid indigestion and enjoy your food more.Take care of your financial wellbeingWe've provided work-from-home tips for employee mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, but financial wellbeing is just as important. If you haven't provided employee benefits to your people, you might like to think about offering something to help them feel their finances are protected should the worst happen; YuLife’s product range includes Group Life Insurance, Group Income Protection and Group Critical Illness cover to help them feel more secure.Inspiring everyday healthy livingAs a life insurance company that inspires life, YuLife is proud to partner with Ella to make everyday healthy living available to more people. Along with a market-leading group life insurance policy, YuLife’s customers enjoy access to an app that incentivises employees for healthy behaviour like walking and meditating, also providing mental health support (EAP) and access to a 24/7 virtual GP.Contact us for better employee health, wellbeing, and protection.