People who work from home have been advised to develop a routine and stick to it as closely as possible in order to boost their productivity.

A recent article in the Guardian suggested that working consistent hours will help to separate your work and home life, something that can prove rather tricky when you don't have an office to commute to each day.

Another way of negotiating this is to establish an office in your house and build up a dedicated working space. By setting up in a separate room you can close the door and help yourself to feel in 'work mode' or 'home mode'. Even if you are unable to dedicate an entire room, try partitioning off one section of an existing room and introduce different furniture or a screen.

Of course, good lighting is essential in a work area. Natural light will increase your productivity and help to keep you alert, so if possible position your desk near a window and keep a lamp close by to switch on if needed.

Other home working tips offered by the paper included limiting distractions as much as possible by turning off the television and the radio, as well as investing in specific items of furniture and stationary to make working from home easier.