Work hard at getting the home office right

Outside the set dressing of a glossy magazine, inserting working space in the general body of your home is not easy.

Without the physical change of going out one door from your home life and in another to employment or study, you must develop some sense of psychological remove. That’s the real battleground — setting out the interior of your head for working at home. Distraction is everywhere pulling you up and out of the chair, and when off-duty, a misplaced work area can haunt you back to repetitive fidgets at the books, spoiling relaxation time. Neighbours and friends see you as being available for calls and stolen cups of tea, and your remotely employed spouse will resent cooking on their return for someone who has been home all day.

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