More people than ever before are working from home. Some of these people just work a few days a week at home, instead of in their office, still working for an employer. Others, run their own business out of their house, often working around family commitments. Then, some work as freelancers. They use their skills to make money online or in the real world. They work doing something that they enjoy, providing clients with their abilities, to help them to get a good job done. Freelancers work as writers, photographers, designers, editors and in many other fields. The growth of the internet means that more people are able to make money in this way and it can seem like a dream come true.

Before you get started, working from home can feel like the answer to all of your problems. You’ll be able to work more flexible hours. You’ll be able to work around your family. You’ll be able to sit on the sofa in your sweats, working as and when it suits you.

Then, for many, reality sets in and it’s rather different. Many people that work from home fall into two camps. The first, procrastinate. They are distracted by home life. They find it hard to focus and instead spend their time watching Netflix and eating cake. They gain weight, their work suffers, and they aren’t able to make as much money as they’d like to, because they don’t focus on their work.

The second camp become obsessive workers. They work all day and into the night. They take on extra projects, they never take time off, and they work much more than they ever would as an employee in an office. They spend less time with their family and friends, and much less time outdoors. Work takes over their lives, and they feel constantly stressed out and anxious.

Despite the appeal of home-working, most truly struggle to find that perfect work-life balance that they are looking for. This is just one of the reasons that co-working spaces are becoming more popular. Working from a shared office can be an excellent solution to all of your problems that offers you the best of both worlds, and it can make a very real difference to your working life, and the success of your work, even if you only use your shared office for a day a week. But only if you make the most of it. Here are some tips to help you to do just that.

Choose Your Office Well

One of the main appeals of using a co-working space is that it gets you out of the house and helps you to avoid cabin fever. It also helps you to get more done and make the most of your time. But, only if you choose your office wisely. If you pay for a co-working space or membership that’s miles away from your home, or too far away from your children’s school or childcare, you won’t ever make the most of it. Even if you do use it, you’ll waste that much time commuting that you won’t get as much done as you should. That’s why location should be your primary consideration when choosing an office.

That said, the location shouldn’t be your only consideration. You’ll also want to be realistic with what you can afford. If your funds allow, a more luxurious coworking space could offer you better facilities, more comfortable space and a better place to hold meetings. It’ll also give you a chance to make more successful contacts.

Co-working offices are in every major city all over the world. Some, you just pay for when you use. Others, offer a membership which allows you to use any of their offices at any time, and others still let you hire a desk for a monthly fee. These can all be great options, but look at cost, location and the facilities on offer before committing to any.

Get to Know People

Another appeal of co-working is that you’ll get to be around people. One of the only downsides of home working or freelancing is the loneliness. Many people find that despite all of the benefits, they miss being around people. They don’t enjoy working alone all of the time, and they find that without people to share ideas with, the ideas stop coming. Even those that enjoy working alone can discover that they feel lonely and they miss the social aspect of working with others.

But, co-working spaces aren’t quite the same as working with colleagues. You’re around other people, but you’re working on different projects, for various companies and even in different fields. It can be easy to sit at your desk, get your head down and get on with your work without ever communicating with those around you.

If you want to make the most of your co-working space, you need to put yourself out there. You need to speak to the people that you are sharing an office with. Chat with them around the coffee machine, ask them what they are working on and get to know them.

Socialize

Getting to know the people that you are working around is great. You can share ideas, let off some steam and learn from them. But, that’s still not the same as making friends at work. To do that, you need to spend time with them away from the office. Go out for lunch together, start a group or just go for a drink once you’ve finished for the day.

You might be working in different fields, but you are all working remotely away from a traditional environment. That’s something that you’ve got in common that could be used to build a friendship.

Collaborate

Collaboration is a great way to learn, to grow and to develop your business. You can use collaboration to attract new clients, to reach a new audience and to advance your business. In a co-working office, you are surrounded by talented professionals. By people that are keen to explore new ideas and work on different projects. Make the most of it by pitching ideas to your new friends. Find ways that you can work together for the good of everyone.

Make the Most of the Facilities

You could just go in, use your desk, chat with the people next to you and get on with your job. But, most co-working spaces have so much more to offer, and you should make the most of it all.

There might be a coffee shop or kitchen facilities. There might be sofas or even a games room and TV. Some offices have meeting and conference rooms that you can hire when you need to meet clients or host networking events.

Change Things Up

Working at the same computer, within the same four walls every day can get boring. This can cause you to procrastinate, to become distracted and to lose focus. Your work and your productivity levels will suffer.

Having a co-working space helps. It takes you out of our usual environment and helps you to feel fresh. But, you can do more. Change things up within the office. Swap desks, work in another area and move around as much as you can.

Organize Your Time

Wherever you are working, a lack of organization can be a terrible thing. You’ll never get as much done when you don’t have a plan. Go into each day with a list of things that you want to get done before you go home. Then, manage your time. Either assign each task a set amount of time or break it down into “before lunch” and “after lunch.” You’ll get much more done by simply taking a little time before you start to organize your day.

Take Regular Breaks

Most of us can only give something our full focus for around 30 minutes. After this, our minds start to wonder, we slow down, and our work suffers. You might be able to keep going for an hour without distraction, but after that, you won’t be working at your best.

So, instead of working for hours before taking a lunch hour, why not take a lunch half an hour and give yourself a few more 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day. Go for a walk, get a coffee and have a chat with someone in the office. You’ll work more productively for it.

Do the Right Work

Some things, are easy to do at home. There are some small, manageable tasks that you can easily do sat on your sofa while the kids are running around or the TV is blaring. Don’t waste your new workspace on these tasks. Instead, use your time in the office to do the work that you’d struggle to focus on at home. The critical or difficult tasks that you need to give your full focus and can’t tackle when surrounded by distractions.

Look After Yourself

The key to making the most of your time is looking after yourself. Get plenty of sleep, give yourself time off to relax, eat well, exercise and generally take good care of your physical and mental health, as well as your mood, and you’ll be able to work much more productively, wherever your desk is.