Working from home has many advantages: It can give you more control over your schedule and free you from the headache of commuting. But that doesn’t mean remote work is without its drawbacks.

Getting up each morning and doing the same thing throughout the day can make you feel like Bill Murray did in the movie “Groundhog Day,” as he relived the same experiences over and over. It’s monotonous and frustrating.

This was true even before the pandemic arrived. But the quarantine that followed surely didn’t help, as it eliminated a lot of the leisure activities remote workers might have used to relieve the monotony.

If you’re struggling to stay out of a rut after several months of quarantine, there are numerous methods you can use to try to break out of your own “Groundhog Day” and energize yourself — both in your work and personal life.

Commit to healthy habits

To succeed in a work-from-home situation, self-care needs to be your top priority. If you don’t take care of yourself, it’s hard to be productive. Be sure to eat healthy meals, drink plenty of water, and make time to exercise.

Even if you just get up and stretch every hour during the workday to tide you over until your next workout, every bit helps. Stretching also helps you stay flexible and keeps you from pulling muscles or sustaining repetitive injuries from too much mouse-and-keyboard work.

Avoiding injury is important for many reasons. Keeping your body healthy lets you stay active and take care of daily needs. It keeps you out of the emergency room or urgent care clinic, where you might be more likely to encounter the virus. And it also keeps you from feeling depressed, which can happen easily with an injury.

Invest in yourself

One great way to break out of a rut is to invest your energy in trying something completely new. It can help you refocus and develop a new perspective (something we could all use right now).

Try learning a skill or earning a certification, so you’ll have more to offer your current — or future — employer. Or, do something entirely for yourself, such as taking a virtual photography course or learning to drive a stick shift. (You know you’ve always wanted to try it!)

Designate a pleasing workspace

If you’ve pushed yourself into a drab corner with nothing to bring you joy, it’s time to remedy this. To look forward to each day, you need to be happy and comfortable in your workspace. Don’t settle for the couch or a dark corner of your basement.

If you’re pressed for space, see how much clutter you can remove. You can transform a storage closet into a working space and decorate it to your liking. At the very least, get a desk and an ergonomic chair so you can be more comfortable during work hours.

Eliminate stressors

Stress can only make a rut worse. When you’re in a situation you can’t seem to escape, it’s very demotivating. So, identify what’s causing you tension and try to pinpoint solutions so you can work toward easing your burdens.

If your home and its appliances are aging, and that’s led to expensive repairs, consider getting a home warranty so you know you’re covered when the next catastrophe occurs. It’s more important than ever to feel safe and peaceful in a functioning home.

Or, if you’re not only in a work-from-home rut but a financial one, too, strive to improve your financial health. By eliminating some financial stress, you can breathe easier and cultivate a more positive outlook on both your present and your future. Establish a budget; set a weekly or monthly savings goal; and get your credit into good shape.

Up the ante

So, you feel as if you’re languishing in your professional life? Why not up the ante? If you’re a freelancer, create your own opportunity by coming up with an innovative project to attract the notice of potential clients. If you work for someone else, ask your boss if you can take on a new project or contribute to an existing one.

Whatever you do, push yourself to new heights and aspire to major achievements. This will help you in the now, plus any new projects are a great experience and can be a nice addition to your résumé.

Increase your networking game

Working from home doesn’t mean you have to become a professional hermit. Get out there and start networking. There are plenty of virtual opportunities to connect with other professionals, and you can always attend in-person events as things reopen.

In the meantime, design some new business cards and have them printed up so you’ll have them ready to go when the time comes to hand them out in person.

Revamp your online presence

Your online presence matters. Statistics show that 54% of employers eliminate a candidate based on their social media presence. If you think you might be in the market for a new job within the next year, now’s the time to start cleaning yours up. Some of that old social media content might be a part of what’s dragging you down.

If your social media presence looks good, turn an eye toward other ways you’re perceived online and make some improvements there. You can redesign your website, update your LinkedIn profile, and tidy up anywhere you’ve posted a résumé (and update that, too, while you’re at it).

A rut can be hard to escape. If you let it go on for too long, it can develop into burnout or depression. Sometimes the little things in life can make a big difference, and the more steps you take, the better off you’ll be.

Do what you can to take action on your own behalf. Take charge of your life, your health, and your surroundings. You’ll be better off for it in the long run.