FIVE WAYS TO WORK BETTER FROM HOME

It’s time to turn your bedroom into the boardroom. Set up a clean, clear area to become your new ‘office’ during the day. Swap the cafetière and magazines for your laptop and notes, and don’t surround yourself with any unnecessary distractions – it will help you to keep focused on the task in hand.

Being at home is normally an opportunity to chill out and unwind. But, it can be easy to slip into this similar routine (or lack of it!) when you’re trying to work there. Establish a clear plan first thing in the morning and decide on what tasks you want to get done by when. Once set, try to be disciplined with yourself and keep to it.

You may not be in the company of your usual work colleagues, but you might have a new team to start working with – your family! Whether it’s your partner, children or a flat mate, work together and support each other by aligning schedules and keeping your social and working time separate.

Look smart, work smart – it often makes a difference. While it might be tempting to get out of bed a little later and kick about in your pyjamas for the day, it can start to impact your productivity. Dress like it’s any other day in the office; it will help separate your work from down time, and improve productivity.

Some find it hard to concentrate at home, for others, it can be tough to switch off. Without the commute to and from the office, it sometimes feels like you’re always online. Make sure you take regular breaks throughout the day (even just to get away from your screen) and make sure you switch off and unwind at the end.