Top Blog Cabin Distractions (And How To Eliminate Them)
The blog cabin should be a place of effortless productivity. But sometimes, unwanted distractions can begin to creep in.
In this post, we take a look at some of the things that can disrupt your work and prevent you from being at your most productive. Check out the following:
Pets And Neighbors Who Love To Interrupt
Neighbors wouldn’t dream of walking into a regular office and firing up a conversation with you. And your pets wouldn’t be there (unless you’re working for a hip firm that lets you bring your cat to work).
But that’s not the case when you’re working from home. There always seem to be endless opportunities for people to come, knock on the door, ask you questions, bring you drinks, and generally interrupt the flow of your day.
The solution to this is simple: put up a sign on the door. “Busy working. Only disturb in the event of an emergency.”
Pest Problems
Another issue with blog cabins is pest problems, particularly if yours is out at the bottom of your garden or in the middle of nowhere.
Usually, bigger animals won’t try to break and enter. However, critters, like silverfish, can move in, particularly if they can find a source of food.
To deal with this, you’ll need professional silverfish removal or a type of pest control suitable for the pests that you have. You don’t want creepy crawlies scurrying over your desk while you’re trying to work.
TVs
While it can be tempting to have the TV on in the background so you can catch up on the latest news, it’s not advisable. It can distract you and drain your productivity.
Instead, see the television as a reward. It’s only something that you should switch on at the end of the day, not before.
If you’re a big TV fan, schedule time each day on the couch to watch it – perhaps 8pm until 10pm while you’re not working.
Chores That Still Need Doing
Trying to work when you know that there are chores that still need doing is a perennial challenge. You’re trying to focus, but always in the background of your mind is this annoying feeling that you need to do the dishes or take out the trash.
Your best bet here is to get all your chores out of the way the night before. Then you don’t have anything hanging over you the next working day. You can focus solely on your work, without any mental clutter.
Instant Messaging
Emails and instant messages are a daily distraction for many of us, particularly those who work from home. While you might be highly disciplined, it can be almost impossible to ignore an email once it enters your inbox. You want to see what it says, just in case it’s urgent.
The trick here is to allocate emails to different folders automatically so you can filter out the ones that you don’t need to read immediately. Then, set a schedule for checking your emails: once in the morning, once at midday, and then once in the evening.
