4 Ways to Improve Your Focus Working From Home
Anyone who works from home knows that it can be challenging to achieve and maintain the productivity that you were used to at the office. While you have the freedom to work as much or as little as you like and don’t need to worry about squeezing your parenting duties into the day, there are still problems that can arise. Besides struggling with productivity, you might find it tricky to focus. This isn’t just down to you, though, but anyone else in your home.Â
Define Your Official Work Space
Many begin working from home by sitting on the sofa or at the dining room table. Although these are useful for now, they are not an ideal solution for long-term remote working. It’s important to create an official workspace, but what’s more important is that you define it and twitch your family to respect this space. Teaching them that you cannot and should not be disturbed while working (except in specific emergency circumstances) will reduce distractions and teach your kids important lessons about boundaries.Â
Fix Any Problems Before Doing Anything Else
From a dripping tap to a rattling washing machine, you will find it impossible to focus if you can’t get these noises out of your head. Some people will put this off until they finish, but it’s the opposite approach that’s more effective. Fixing these problems before starting work will take them off your mind, and although you may need to wait a while for the plumber or 24 Hour AC Repair to visit, you at least know that something is going to be done about it, so focus on your projects for today while you wait.Â
Know What Each Day Requires
Your daily structure can fly out of the window when you work from home, but you mustn’t allow it to get away from you. If you end each day outlining what you need to do tomorrow, you’ll have zero trouble hitting the ground running. Write a list for any essential tasks or projects, whether it’s sending an email or paying a bill. From there, you can get straight into your day, and as you’ve already ticked a few things off before 9 AM (or whenever you start work), you’ll have the positive momentum you need to smash your goals and maybe get ahead of any deadlines.
Avoid Time Sink Distractions
Sitting at your computer all day can become a drag, especially considering how used we are to aimlessly browse social media in front of a screen regardless of the size. You might think it’s harmless to check in on friends, but you will lose more time than you think. It’s best to avoid this by setting timers, only checking once the timer is up. Or, if you find yourself losing too much time, go a step further and block these websites altogether, so you’re not tempted to visit them.Â
Focused
No one is born being able to focus even when there is a whirlwind rushing around them. Instead, teach yourself the discipline to remain on task even when every part of you is itching to do something else. Mastering this will improve your work and even help you finish a little earlier, allowing you to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest.
