Working from home – Our top tips on how to remain focused!
Whether it’s laundry, cooking or tv, working from home can be a distracting experience. With more of us then ever before working from home we have put together a few tips on how to keep focused and avoid those ever so tempting distractions.
- Plan Your Day – One of the reasons many of us get distracted when working from home is that we are outside of our normal routine. At a client’s premises or at your co-working space, there is no food to cook or laundry to do, your day is about work. It’s important to try and get into that same mind set, as you would do in your normal working environment. One of the ways that you can do that is by having a set plan of your day, together with a to do list. This could include, when you will work, where you will work and what you will get done that day. By doing this you will be able to measure yourself, your progress and of course reward yourself after a successful day of home working with a nice glass of something!
- Have a Designated Space to Work– Many of us are not lucky enough to have a home office to work in, but similarly, working from the sofa in front of the television is probably not the best way to have a productive day. Try having a designated space to work in, whether it’s the kitchen table or a desk under the stairs, you’re likely to get more done. If you are working in a public space, such as the kitchen, then make sure you put all your work-related items away at the end of the day to ensure that you can provide yourself with some separation. After all, no one wants to feel as though they are at work all the time.
- Get Dressed – In the same way that it is important to have a designated workspace, clothes can have an impact on our productivity. There are countless studies that show children have less effective lessons at school on own clothes day, and well, the same applies to us adults too. If you normally dress in a smart casual way for work, or even if you wear a suit, do the same when working from home. As comfortable as those PJ’s are, ditch them in favour of your normal work attire for a rewarding day of work.
- Leave the House – When you are working from home it is very easy to go through the day without leaving the house. It’s important for both your focus and your wellbeing that you take a break. Whether its walking to your local shop or having a stroll in the park, try and get out of the house at least once a day.
- Communicate with Your Household – Another good way of keeping focused and avoiding distractions is to ensure that members of your household know when you are working and when you should not be disturbed. Communicating in this way will hopefully set some boundaries and allow you to have a productive working day. We know this is not always possible, particularly with young children but if there are any limits you can put in place to give yourself time to work, you’ll no doubt find them helpful.
- Reward Yourself – As much as we try to ignore them, we can’t get away from the fact that distractions are within all our homes. Rather than attempting to cut them out completely, try adding some time for a reward into your workday. Perhaps you enjoy watching a specific programme or you like baking – for a productive workday make sure that your schedule incorporates some of the things you enjoy doing as well.
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