As the coronavirus spreads, the message from authorities and twitter alike is clear - stay home.

That means that many of us who are lucky enough to have jobs where we can do so, are clacking away at our laptops or video conferencing with our colleagues from the comfort of our couches. Sofa so good but how do you work from home without watching endless TV or playing with your pet or worse, never switching off?

You probably won’t get a helping hand or a guiding light when you first start working from home. There’ll likely be no staff handbook or induction to get you on your way.

So here are six of my top tips on how to be productive at home without getting stir crazy.

Be clear about your office hours are

Keep your Partner/ Co-worker informed of your work schedule - video conference time, deadlines and downtime - so that he or she can give you the privacy you need to be productive.

Set up a workspace

Want to look good on facetime? There should be no bright light to your side or behind you. And don't get too close to your webcam. No one wants to see your booger.

PJs or No PJs? That is the question

For those of us working vertically aka lying in bed, you can blur your background & Microsoft Teams & get a virtual one on zoom. You can also you the AI filter to eliminate background noise.

Distractions, distractions. deal with them

Stay focus. Zoom also has a feature called attention tracking, which tells the meeting host if a participant doesn't have a meeting window in focus for more than 30 seconds. Oops!

Managing Expectations

Have a self-Engaging activity for kids planned when you have an important virtual meeting.

Party Online

Some streaming apps have party options so they can watch a movie together.