For many, working from home is the new normal. A 2025 survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics found that 40% of UK workers have remote or hybrid roles, with 14% exclusively working from home.
Home working has many advantages, including less time spent commuting, more space to concentrate, and greater control over your day. However, it can also have drawbacks. Some people say they’re less focused at home, miss office camaraderie, or simply don’t have the right home setup to work efficiently.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at making work-from-home setups as comfortable and productive as possible.
1. Choose a dedicated workspace
One reason why working from home can be tricky is that our homes are also where we relax, socialise, and maybe even exercise. This means our brains connect it with rest and leisure, rather than work. So, if you sit down to tackle your work to-do list, only to find your brain won’t engage, this can often be why.
The best way to combat this is to choose a dedicated workspace, if you can. Perhaps you’ve got a quiet corner with enough room for a small desk, or maybe you could transform a spare room into your personal office.
If space is limited, you might have to be more creative with choosing your work area. Perhaps you could rearrange some furniture in your living room to make space for a compact desk, or if you rarely use your kitchen table, maybe you could turn it into a workspace instead. It might take a bit of trial and error to find what works best for you.
If you can, avoid working in the room where you sleep. If your brain starts associating that room with both activities, you might find yourself feeling sleepy when working and unable to switch off when you go to bed.
2. Adopt the correct sitting posture
When working from home, it can be tempting to work from our sofas or beds. But this can make us more likely to slouch, hunch, or sit with our knees bent awkwardly, which can cause musculoskeletal issues over time.
Instead, it’s best to…
Find a comfortable chair
It’s important to choose a chair that provides both upper and lower back support in the natural S-shape of your spine. This should mean that when you rest your back against it, there are no gaps between the chair and your spine. You could also try placing a small pillow behind you for support if needed.
There are plenty of ergonomic chairs available on Amazon at various prices, which are specifically designed to help you achieve the correct sitting posture.
Adjust your chair to the right height
It’s also important to make sure that your chair is the right height for your desk or table. Too high, and you’ll find yourself hunching over; too low, and your knees may bend more than 90 degrees, putting pressure on your kneecaps and causing discomfort.
Experts recommend sitting with our feet flat on the floor and our knees level with our hips or slightly below them. When you rest your arms on your desk with your elbows at your side, your arms should form an L shape. This position should help you avoid straining too far forward to reach your work, which can stress the muscles in your arms, back, and shoulders.
If your seat is too high, you could consider buying a footrest to improve your position, and if your seat is too low, you could try giving yourself a boost by sitting on a firm cushion.
Try to avoid sitting with your legs crossed or your knees bent under you, as this can affect blood circulation, temporarily increase blood pressure, and put stress on your hip and knee joints.
If you’re looking to loosen up and ease any pressure before you start the day, you might like to try our strength and stretch sessions over on Rest Less Events.
Bring your eyes to screen level
To avoid hunching or straining, make sure your eyes are level with the top of your screen. Your screen should also be about an arm’s length away, so you aren’t craning forward to see it or leaning back because it’s too close.
When sitting in the correct position, you should be able to look straight forward to see everything on your screen. If you still find yourself leaning forward, try increasing the font size. This will also help prevent eye strain.
If your screen is too low, try propping it up with some books. And if you have a laptop, you could consider buying a laptop stand, which you can get for a reasonable price on Amazon. However, a laptop stand usually means you won’t be able to reach the built-in mousepad or keyboard comfortably, so it’s worth investing in external ones, which can sit on the desk in front of you.
For more advice on adopting the correct posture when working at a desk – or on the sofa, if this is your only option – have a watch of the video below…
Note: If you can’t afford to buy certain equipment that would make working from home more comfortable, it’s worth having a chat with your employer to see if they can help provide what you need. Some companies have a budget specifically for this purpose. You may also be able to claim tax relief on equipment you’ve already bought, such as a laptop, chair, or mobile phone.
3. Consider working in a standing position for a short time each day
Some experts suggest that standing up to work for at least part of your day can offer benefits like burning more calories, improving mood, and reducing back pain. Many people also find that standing to work makes them feel more alert and engaged.
You can buy standing desks on Amazon in a range of sizes and styles. Alternatively, you could place a desk tray on top of your existing work surface to raise it to standing level.
For more guidance on good posture when standing up at your workstation, have a read of this article from Healthline.
4. Dress like you would if you were going into the office
When working at home and not spending time around colleagues, it can be easy to dress in loungewear or pyjamas. However, dressing differently from how we would in the office can make us feel less focused and motivated.
Even if no one is going to see you, it can be a good idea to dress in your usual work attire anyway, as this can put you in a more productive mindset. Wearing loungewear or pyjamas will only signal to your brain that it’s time to relax, which can make ticking off your to-do list feel challenging.
5. Structure your day and take proper breaks
When working from home, you effectively become your own manager. In some ways, this can be liberating, as you have greater flexibility and control over your day. On the other hand, it can sometimes be tricky to know where to start or how to organise your day constructively.
The best way to create structure for your day is to consider which tasks you perform best at certain times. For example, if you feel more focused early in the morning, this could be an ideal time to complete any work that requires a quiet, uninterrupted space for thought.
If, by the afternoon, your concentration is waning, you could schedule a few phone or video calls with clients or colleagues to give yourself a break from focused work.
Whatever structure your day takes, it’s important to get some exercise at some point, too, as this can give you space and time away from your screen and help re-energise you. It’s also worth having proper breaks at meal times (rather than eating at your desk), so you can really enjoy your food, have a breather, and return to work with a fresher perspective.
6. Have a clear start and finish time
When commuting, we’re more likely to stick to clear start and finish times to allow for things like travel or family commitments. Many of us will also reach a certain point in the evening when we think about heading home for dinner. However, when working from home, it’s easier to find ourselves working past our regular hours.
While this might feel helpful initially, we aren’t robots, and it’s important to take proper rest. Having clear start and finish times can help make sure that we don’t overwork and end up burning out.
If you’re worried that you won’t get everything done, try starting your day with the most pressing tasks, so the less important things get pushed back if need be. Your time is also precious, so consider saying no to meetings or requests you simply don’t have the time for, or that aren’t essential to your day.
If you struggle to move on from a task and start another, you could consider using a free time-management tool like a Pomodoro tracker, Toggl (free for up to five users), or Plantie. These help you keep track of tasks and encourage you to finish them in a more timely manner.
7. Move your body at least once an hour
Research suggests that sitting for most of the day can increase our risk of health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, so it’s important to do what we can to minimise the effects of sitting for long periods.
Having the correct posture will certainly help, but it’s also important to get up and walk around or stretch at least once an hour to release muscle tension and boost circulation.
Many of us hold tension in our necks without even realising, so rolling them out a few times a day can really help. If you’re unsure where to start, why not have a go at these stretching exercises from the NHS?
Doing some daily exercise, like yoga, running, or walking, can also give our minds and bodies a welcome break from our work. We have plenty of ideas to inspire you over on our fitness and exercise section.
Or, if you’re looking for something more practical, check out our fitness sessions running on Rest Less Events.
8. Look after your eye health
If you’re looking at a screen for several hours a day without proper breaks and positioning, your eyes can become tired, dry, and sore.
Specsavers has a helpful video explaining simple ways to protect your eyes while working from home, which includes blinking more regularly, reducing screen brightness, and looking at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes or so to relax your eyes.
Alternatively, if you have any concerns about your eye health, you might like to read our article: 10 age-related eye problems you should know about.
Free NHS eye tests plus 10% off glasses for over 60s
Booking an appointment online has never been easier, and with a range of offers from 10% off if you’re over 60**, 2nd pairs half price^ & a free NHS eye test if eligible, our expert optometrists are here to help you on your journey to clearer vision.
9. Stay connected to work colleagues
Working from home can offer freedom and independence, but it can also leave us feeling isolated if we have little or no interaction with colleagues.
For many, being part of a team where every person contributes to a larger cause can be a powerful motivator. Often, when we hear and see what great work our teammates are doing, we feel more driven to perform well ourselves.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to stay connected to your work colleagues. Nowadays, it’s really easy to do this from home through video calls or free instant messaging services such as Slack or Flock. If your work has yet to embrace any such platforms, you could suggest it to get the ball rolling.
If you don’t have colleagues, it can help to network with other industry professionals to swap tips, ideas, and inspiration. Our guide to networking will explain its importance and offer advice on reaching out to people in your field.
10. Create a work space that inspires you
Chances are, you’ll feel more motivated if you feel positive about your workspace. This will mean different things to different people. For instance, you might find yourself thinking more clearly in a minimalist space, while others might prefer a workstation filled with pictures and objects that inspire them.
If you have a small home and you’re feeling cramped, you could consider adding some mirrors to give the illusion of spaciousness.
Some people also find that hanging bright prints on their walls or putting plants on their desk or window sills helps them feel more upbeat. Research also shows that happiness and productivity are linked and that workers surrounded by plants are often more productive and satisfied with their work life.
Our article 10 low-maintenance indoor plants that can add life to your home will hopefully offer some inspiration if you’re in the market for a new plant or two. Or, if you’re looking for some affordable ways to improve your living space, have a read of our article here.
11. Match your music to the task in front of you
Music can significantly impact our mood and increase productivity if chosen wisely.
It often helps to select music based on the task at hand. For example, if you’re working on something that requires a great deal of focus, it’s generally best to listen to music without lyrics to avoid distraction. Or if you’re replying to emails but struggling to stay motivated after the first couple, you could play something that gets you pumped up, like pop or dance.
Music tastes and how they affect our mood and productivity are very individual, so it’s best to experiment to find out what works best for you. You could even consider making different playlists for different tasks.
12. Find ways to ease the symptoms of screen fatigue
If you find that looking at a screen for several hours a day is taking its toll on your mental health and leaving you feeling drained, you might find it helpful to check out our article on screen fatigue.
It’s packed with helpful tips on staying productive while minimising the effects of your screen time. These include switching off all smart devices 30 minutes before bed and making time in your day to interact with nature.
13. Talk to the people you live with about what you need
One of the downsides of working from home, if you live with other people, is that they might see you as simply being at home, rather than working. This could mean that they regularly talk to you when you’re trying to concentrate, expect you to do extra household tasks like cooking or laundry, or distract you in other ways.
To avoid any friction, it can help to openly discuss what each of you needs from the other to work from home productively and harmoniously. This may include waiting to do noisy tasks like hoovering until the end of the working day or giving each other a heads-up before starting a video call.
Communication is key and can go a long way in helping you reach an agreement that everyone in the household is happy with.
14. Remove distractions
Distractions are a natural part of working from home, but there are a few things you can do to combat them. For example…
Make your bed when you wake up. That way, you’ll be less tempted to get back into it.
Some people enjoy having the TV on for background noise. If this sounds familiar, try to leave it on a channel that doesn’t really interest you, so it’s less likely to capture your attention and throw you off track.
Establish boundaries with family members so they know when not to disturb you.
Consider downloading smartphone apps like Stay Free, which limit your access to certain apps at different times.
- Consider reading our articles on focus and motivation for more tips.
Final thoughts…
Home working has a lot to offer, including increased freedom and independence, a better work-life balance, and the chance to save time and money on commuting.
But, as with anything in life, there are drawbacks. For example, you may experience more distractions, feelings of isolation, and unclear boundaries between your work and home life.
However, we hope the tips in this article will help you get the most from working at home, whether it’s for a few days, months, or permanently.
Are you working from home? Do you have any additional tips that you’d like to share? We’re interested to hear from you in the comments below.
* Links with an * by them are affiliate links which help Rest Less stay free to use as they can result in a payment or benefit to us. You can read more on how we make money here.
Start your new chapter abroad with this free retirement guide
With Your Overseas Home, you will receive honest guidance, expert advice and a helping hand every step of the way.
Download the free guide to find out how to cut everyday living costs, get tax, pension and visa checklists, and discover top tips from the expat community.
Join the discussion
Read our full commenting terms and guidelines