How to Stay Focused While Working From Home
How to Stay Focused While Working From Home
How to Stay Focused While Working From Home
More people than ever have made the transition to their home office this year. Here are some tips on how to stay focused while working from home.
Working from home comes with many benefits. It takes out the need for buying gas and sitting in traffic. It also gives you more time at home to get things done.
But working from home can make it hard to separate work and home life, therefore being unable to stay focused at work. You can be distracted by home chores or watching TV shows and movies while you have your laptop with you on the couch. It's best to stay away from that while working from home.
But how do you stay focused at work then? Read on to learn how.
Create a Space Dedicated to an Office
While working from home is excellent, it also comes with many things that can distract us. A home is a comfy place for anybody, so you may be working on your couch or porch, soaking in the sunshine and outdoors. Unfortunately, these variables can factor into distractions.
So, it's ideal to have a home office suited for all your work. You will need to clean the room and organize it as if it were a regular office outside your home.
Having a suitable office chair and desk is crucial when working from home. If a chair is too uncomfortable or small, it can hinder your focus. If a desk is messy and doesn't provide enough space for your needs, it will be a headache to finish tasks on time.
If you need a suitable desk for your home office setup to help you stay focused, you can check out our desks here. We can provide desks that range from corner desks to workstations that can fulfill all of your desk needs.
Keep to a Schedule
You don't have to worry about buying gas and going through the daily commute back and forth from the office when you're working from home. So, that may lead to you waking up a few minutes before work and going to bed later than usual.
That can lead to a schedule that changes every day. For example, if you can work whenever you want, going grocery shopping spontaneously can result in lousy work efficiency.
It's better to stick to a schedule like waking up and going to bed at an established time each day. Since you're working from home, it's ideal to schedule breaks and eat time. This way, it can help you stay focused.
Limit Distractions
When working in your home office, you're sitting comfy and possibly wearing your PJs. Believe it or not, this makes it hard to stay focused. You want to limit those distractions by at least switching to clothes you would wear in public and look more suitable for a professional environment.
Another distraction is web surfing and browsing through your smartphone. When reading emails, attending meetings, or working on documents, it's easy to put everything down and use your phone while working from home.
Put the phone away and stick to the schedule you created. If you divide your plan into blocks, you can put a timer on when you can use your other devices to work more efficiently that way.
Listen to Music
Some may say this is a distraction, but listening to music can help you concentrate. Listening to music can engage your brain and make you more aware. So, when you're playing songs you like, you can stay focused.
If you're unsure which type of music is suitable for staying on track, here are some examples:
Classical Music
Although some may say it makes them sleepy, classical music can help you stay calm while studying and working. It may not be for everybody, but it's the most discussed music genre for staying focused.
Video Game Music
Have you ever wondered how people tend to play video games for a long time and get a lot done? That's thanks to the way video game developers compose their music.
Video game music is designed to keep you focused on the main objective. Playing games is also fun, causing you to stay positive and making tasks fun to complete.
In the end, it's up to you to choose what type of music is for you when getting things done.
Stay Active
You can get more work done and stay on your computer longer since you'll be working from home. But the downside to that would be making it harder to stay focused. Since you're at home, you'll tend to do other activities like household chores, cooking, and doing laundry.
To stay focused at work, try not to do those tasks unless you're on break or have free time. But since doing chores can also feel like work, you should utilize breaks for going on quick walks outdoors. It can help refresh your mind and keeps you staying on track.
It's not good to stay on your computer all day, so being active and doing things that don't feel like work can help you stay focused.
Still Can't Stay Focused? Try the Pomodoro Technique
If you can't stay focused because you can't sit all day or need to do something every other minute, you can try working with the Pomodoro Technique. It's great for people who need to focus on one task at a time and helps train your brain to stay focused.
But what is the Pomodoro Technique?
Pomodoro means "tomato" in Italian. Francesco Cirillo developed the technique in the 1980s, who used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to manage work time into intervals.
You will have about 25 minutes to work, then take a 5-minute break and repeat. But there's more to it.
Here's how it works:
- Focus on a task with NO distractions
- Set a timer for 25 minutes
- Work
- Stop working when the timer goes off
- Take a short break (5-10 minutes)
- Repeat steps 2-5 until you've done a "Pomodoro" four times
- After the fourth "Pomodoro," take an extended break (20-30 minutes)
- Repeat all the steps in order
In this instance, a "Pomodoro" means an interval of one work time and one break time.
When working with the Pomodoro Technique, you must ensure no distractions come your way. If you're interrupted, write it down somewhere and continue working. If you can't, you'll have to quit the current Pomodoro.
Work From Home and Explore More
Working from home can sometimes be distracting. You're outside and want to do other things instead of sitting on the computer all day.
You should stick to a schedule and reduce distractions when working to stay focused. To do that, you can listen to stimulating music and remain active. If that doesn't work, you can also try out the Pomodoro Technique to help you focus.
Ultimately, having an excellent home office can help you when working from home. If you need furniture and other office essentials at an affordable price, contact us and let us know how we can help you.
