How did you cope with working from home this week? The first week is always exciting because you have the novelty of working when you want and how you want, but next week will start to become challenging.

I've been speaking to some of you and you're saying that working from home is already becoming a struggle as it invades your family lifestyle.   Now that the children are off school, it will become increasingly difficult to work from home as noise levels rise and your priorities are stretched.

Today, I'd like to share with you how to create an effective work space in your home. It's important to set aside a space to work so that you can think clearly and focus on being effective (in between doing the washing and keeping the kids entertained!).

An effective work space will give you clarity and set boundaries between work commitments and family life. It will help to reduce any anxiety and feelings of guilt about multi-tasking your time. 

The first step is to find yourself a place to settle down and work. It might be your bedroom, the living room, a landing or an under the stairs cupboard. It needs to be a space that inspires you, but it also needs to be a place where you can get away from the family and household chores. When you're distracted by other things then your mind will struggle to focus effectively on the task in hand. Try to find a spot where you feel comfortable and don't have any distractions from daily life.

The second step is to set up your stall. This means, having things close by that you need for your work. For some of you this will just be your laptop, your phone (and charger), a pad and pen for notes, a cuppa and a small heater if your space is cold as the heating is turned off during the day. For others, you might also need files and folders of client information.  

The third steps is to organise your work space.  I know that I'm lucky because I have a separate room in my home that's my office, but for many you'll be invading the family home. Maybe you have to set up an office space in your bedroom, commandeer the kid's desk or spread out your work on the dining room table.  However you work at home, the most important consideration is to look at ways of putting your work away once you're finished. When your work  is left out, it squirrels into the heart of your home and is a constant reminder of things to get done. This causes stress, anxiety and arguments.   

If you're  struggling with working from home and feeling anxious about it invading family life, take a moment to listen to episode 1 of... 

A HOME TO CHERISH PODCAST