Everyone thinks that working from home is easy – until they try it, and with the development of the ‘virtual office’, more and more people are doing so. Working in an real office makes life simple; yoga or yodelling can calm you down once you escape the daily grind. But how do you stay focused and relaxed when your work place is also your home?

Don’t panic. When emergencies crop up in the middle of a busy day, keep a clear head and take control. Running around like a headless chicken won’t help. Try to understand what’s happening, and handle each problem in turn. Then put it aside and carry on.

Understand yourself. Are you making things worse? ‘Awfulising’ and ‘rigid perfectionism’ are seen as enhancing stress. Awfulisers say ‘this is awful, it’s the end of the world!’ when it generally isn’t; rigid perfectionists say ‘no matter how much pressure there is on time or resources, I want to do a perfect job’. It is much better to try to do a good job.

Build relaxation into your day. Exercise cuts stress take advantage of being able to get out at any time of the day. If you stay at your desk all day you will feel more stale and tired in the afternoon. Going for a walk and getting away from the noise of even a small office can be beneficial.

Develop healthy habits. Nicotine, caffeine and sugar may all give you a quick buzz and feel relaxing, but then you feel very flat because they are actually having the opposite effect. It may sound dull but the right diet really can help. Try water or herbal tea, pasta, rice, noodles or bread if you want to feel more relaxed.

Tense up – and let go. Curl up in your chair, draw your knees up, tighten into a ball, and then let yourself relax. You can curl up at your desk for as long as you want – one of the best things about working at home is that there’s no one to see you!