If you run a business from home it is easy to fall in the trap of becoming a self imposed prisoner. It is easy to end up rarely venturing outside your home office feeling that if you are at work then you must be in your home office.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Also, working in total isolation like this is not good for you or your business. It is also totally unnecessary. Running a business from home doesn’t mean being a prisoner in it or that you have to do all your work from it. It means having the freedom to chose what you do, when you do it and where you do it.

So, if you have become a work from home prisoner, it’s time to create some change to grasp the freedom that is there to be grabbed hold of and made the most of.

There are many personal and business benefits to working from different locations outside your home. Here are just a few:

- Reduces feelings of isolation, stagnation and boredom.
- Can increase your personal effectiveness and time management as you aren’t distracted by the internet, day time TV or the dirty dishes in the sink.
- Boosts creativity which helps effective decision making and improves quality of work.

If you have become a self imposed prisoner in your home office here are some tips to break the habit:

- Make a list of all business activities that are not dependant on being in your home office.
- Pick a location suitable for that activity. For example, for business reviews, strategy and planning meetings I go to a hotel lounge that overlooks the sea because it inspires me. A quiet coffee shop is a great alternative too. You get the idea.
- Schedule in your diary times and dates to do those activities. Space them at regular intervals to break up your week/month.
- When the weather is good, work outdoors. To me that is one of the real luxuries of running a business from home.
- Brainstorm other things you can do that will end that prisoner feeling and move working from home to being a real source of freedom.

I encourage you to make the absolute most of the freedom that running a business from home can offer. Remember that if you are feeling like a prisoner in your home office, that is a choice. Choose to create something different. The opportunity is there. Seize it. » Read more: Are You A Prisoner In Your Home Office?