Five tips for increasing productivity when working from home

We know a lot more of you are working from home at the moment, so we wanted to share our top tips for staying productive.

1. Find a dedicated workspace

We're big advocates of working from home at Enterprise Nation - but we know it can be hard to develop a productive routine when you're surrounded by distractions.

One of the most important things about working from home is to have a dedicated workspace. This doesn't have to be an entire office but it needs to be a space where you do nothing but work.

The problem with working on the sofa or in bed is that those places aren't for work, so it's more difficult to concentrate. Plus, you'll find yourself getting distracted by the TV or that alluring stack of unfinished books on your bed stand.

2. Project manage your time effectively

When you work on your own, you don't have anyone around to remind you about a project, email or deadline. Creating a to-do list every morning or blocking out time in your diary is a good way to stay on top of everything and stay productive.

Project management systems such as Basecamp and Trello will help you collaborate and organise projects when you're working with a remote team. Regardless of your approach, make sure you have a system for keeping up-to-date with work that comes in.

3. Take regular breaks

Working at home means missing out on breaks where you'd speak to colleagues or go to meetings. That means it's doubly important to make sure you're taking regular breaks.

Take 5-10 minutes every couple of hours to get away from your desk and eat your lunch away from your workstation. It's a great way to clear your head, plus staring at a screen all day can be bad for your health as well as your creativity.

Unable to leave the house? Here are a few suggestions:

• Avoid being too sedentary by doing press-ups or another form of exercise while the kettle boils

• Turn up your favourite jam and dance around the room - my personal recommendation is Funkadelic's Can you get to that

• Read a book for twenty minutes

• Take care of a household chore - but don't fall foul of the whim of procrastination and tidy the whole house

Please tweet @E_Nation with your unique solutions.

4. Collaborate with other people

This might sound counter-productive but if you have someone working with you then you're likely to work harder. It might be because you want to match their level of productivity or because they provide very regular, short breaks to make you feel refreshed.

If you're unable to have visitors, take advantage of tech solutions that make it easy to have informal chats or video conferences like Skype. And make sure you're reaching out to people often.

5. Sort out your equipment

Another crucial element of productivity is to ensure your home workspace has the right equipment for you and your business.

Make sure you have a good screen with a stand and a suitable office chair. Try to work in natural light if possible - if it's not, find a lamp you can use. Staring at a screen in a dark room can strain your eyes and make you feel drowsy.

The quicker you get set up the easier the next few weeks will be.