How To Stay Focused When Working From Home
Anyone who has spent time working from home knows that one of the biggest challenges is staying focused. We start out with good intentions – picturing ourselves staying home all day, glued to the computer, getting a large amount of work done. But then you notice the dishes in the sink are dirty, or the dog starts to bother you because it needs to go out. Or maybe you think “Well, I’m home all day, so I’ll just do it later” and end up watching a little bit of TV first. There are countless distractions that can get in your way when you work from home, and in order to be successful, you need to work on removing them. Staying focused when working from home is not always easy, but with the following suggestions, you can make it a little easier.
Set Goals
The first thing you should do – preferably the night before – is to set yourself some goals for the day. What do you want to accomplish? How much time do you want to spend working? At the end of the day, what will make you feel like you completed a solid day’s work? Ask yourself these questions, and then write down your goals. Post it somewhere you will see it while you’re working, and cross off items as you finish them. Try to break large goals down into smaller ones so that you can check off more items along the way.
Here are some mobile apps you can use to help you track your goals, or simply use a paper and pen. As you tick off each task as completed, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, and this will motivate you to keep going. Working without a goal in mind will only lead you to procrastinate, so know what you want to accomplish before you begin.
Remove Distractions
As we said earlier, there are many things that will attempt to distract you throughout your day. In order to be productive, you need to remove these distractions as best as you can. If household chores are what typically distracts you, get them done before you begin, or complete them during scheduled breaks. If having the TV on during work distracts you, unplug it, or move your work stuff into another room.
For many of us, social media sites are a huge distraction, so consider blocking them through your web browser if you find you are spending too much time on them. Google Chrome users can download the Block Site extension to block specific websites, or the StayFocusd extension to limit how much time these sites are allowed to remain open. No matter what your distraction is, once you identify it, find a way to remove it while you get your work done, otherwise it will continue to distract you.
Have Your Own Space
It is important to have a dedicated space that you use just for working. It’s hard to get your mind into working mode while laying in bed, as you are usually not thinking too hard in that location. Your mind needs to know that when you are in a certain spot, that means it is time to work. You don’t need to set up an entire home office – although that would be beneficial – but you can make do with the corner of a room. As long as you just use that spot for working, your brain will know what time it is when you sit down.
Clear Aside Specific Times
When working from home, it can be tempting to try and fit work in around other tasks. Unlike working in an office, there is no strict schedule or someone there to watch over us. This causes you to procrastinate, and ultimately not get as much done as you’d like. It is important that you make a work schedule for yourself, and that you stick to it. While one of the joys of working from home is the flexibility it provides, you don’t want to be too flexible. Discipline is important, and will help you to accomplish more.
Establish Boundaries
Lastly, if you are going to be working from home while others are there, it is important to establish boundaries. Let your family know that once you enter into your work area, you are not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Other people – whether it’s family or roommates – can be a huge distraction, so be sure that you establish boundaries. Just like they wouldn’t keep calling you while you were at an office, the same rule needs to apply to your home office.
Make Focusing A Goal
When setting up the goals for your work, make staying focused one of them. It is important to reach the milestones you set for yourself, but you won’t be able to do so in a timely fashion if you are not focused. Staying focused takes practice and dedication, and is likely not something that will happen in a day. Work on removing distractions each day, working for longer periods of time without interruption, and steadily adding more goals to your plate each day. The more consistent you are with trying to remain focused while working from home, the easier it will become.