There’s a laundry list of reasons why working from home is beneficial. Flexible hours, no commute, no business clothes- you can make all the money you need with the comfort and convenience of staying at home. The only downside to this remote work is getting easily sidetracked by the contents of your home. You may find it difficult to stay focused when working from home. Is there a way to break through the temptation of distractibility and make the most of your office hours?
Here’s how to make the most out of your workspace and stay focused when getting your job done at home.
Make a Playlist
A major plus for remote work is listening to whatever songs you want at whatever volume you want. The thing is, you can easily get sidetracked by picking your favorite tunes and singing along to the songs you love most.
If you make a playlist ahead of time, you can avoid the distraction of scrolling through your music. Playlists also help you to set the mood for the space so that you can come in with concentrated energy at the get-go.
Create a Workspace
You may find it hard to get anything done when you associate your “workspace” with sleep, relaxation, or entertainment. When you enter that space, you want your gears to already be turning and thinking through how you will tackle your to-do list.
Even if you don’t have a totally separate room to designate as your home office, be sure you have a space solely dedicated to productivity. Doing this also prevents you from working during your downtime, interrupting your much-needed time for rest and recuperation.
Take Active Breaks
If you worked in a traditional office, you get a designated break time to take care of your personal business during office hours. A major benefit of working from home is taking more sporadic breaks during the day so that you don’t get too bored while you’re being productive.
When you do decide to take a break, try doing something active. Go for a walk, a quick jog, or dance to your favorite upbeat song. Having a little bit of movement helps to keep your blood flowing and maintain your mental game.
Do Not Disturb
A major cause of distractability is getting constant notifications from your devices. The easiest way to keep your mind clear is to clear your phone from all the texts, calls, and apps that might try to take your attention. Put your devices on “do not disturb” to block out the world while you’re working.
When you turn on “do not disturb,” you can still catch up on texts and calls once you put your notifications back on. All this feature does is silence the pop-ups and sudden noises that might get your mind wandering down a totally different rabbit hole.
If you struggle with more than staying focused while working from home check out our article on Managing Stress as a Remote Worker.
