Working form home works for some people but others really struggle with being as productive at home as they would be if they were going in to work at the office. There are many reasons behind this challenge: the inability to set their mind to work when they are in their home setting or that there are too many distractions taking preventing them from doing work.

If you are thinking of working from home but not sure whether it is something that will suit you or not, you could always give it a trial run. If you decide that working from home isn’t for you, then don’t force it. If might be that you like to interact with other people and engage with your colleagues on a daily basis.

Having said that, there are a number of actions that you can take to make you more productive if you do decide to work from home, whether it is the occasional day or a long-term solution.

Set up the right environment

One of the most important factors of all is ensuring that you have the right environment. This means that you need to have the right temperature, lighting, low noise levels and appropriate desk and chair. If you’re perched on a stool over a breakfast bar then your posture probably isn’t going to be correct and this will not only cause you pain and it will stop you from being as productive.

It can be very easy to get into the habit of just switching the TV on for just 5 minutes but it can just as easily turn into 30 minutes before you know it. Similarly, if someone invites you out for a coffee, it is tempting to say yes and not being able to work back the time on the same day. You could end up in a slow spiral of losing hours each day if you’re not strict enough with your schedule. Yes, having the flexibility to work your own hours is one of the best benefits of home working but you have to make sure you to put in as many hours as you need to. Don’t book in appointments like trips to the hairdressers or holiday vaccinations during working hours.

Don’t advertise that you’re at home

Sometimes the fact that you work at home can be a signal to other people that your time is available during the day. If your neighbours and friends know that you are ‘just working at home’, in their eyes that means you are there to take that bed delivery, pick up their child from school and any other task that they can’t get time off work for.

Don’t get distracted by domestic chores