If you’ve been working from home for a long time, you’ve probably found yourself struggling to focus sometimes. While you may have started this WFH experiment with high hopes of calibrating your work responsibilities and downtime aspirations, you’re probably just plain distracted. If you’re looking to cut out distractions and be more productive, follow these tried-and-tested WFH tips:
Don’t Multitask
There are so many distractions when you are hunkered down at home – a pile of dishes, the siren call of Netflix, and all your devices abuzz with notifications. None of these distractions are important. Try to avoid straying from work and losing precious time.
Start Scheduling
Clearly attributing specific time slots for tasks is a way to limit distractions. If you break your day down into defined blocks of time, you will be less likely to get distracted.
Let Go
Some things are just out of your control. All you can do is live and let live. While this tip may seem out of a self-help book, it applies to time management just as much as it does to shedding emotional baggage.
Warm-Up
It’s okay to sometimes need some space and time before you get started checking things off your list. Let your brain warm up a bit before getting to work and you will feel more motivated and much less tempted by distractions.
Establish Boundaries
If external forces, such as in-person office meetings usually help dictate your schedule, develop strict parameters for yourself when you’re working from home. Start by focusing on guarding the time that you’re on the clock.
Learn Your Triggers
Similarly, be aware of workplace stressors that trigger your most time-wasting behaviors. Often, you’re not able to recognize these stressful emotions immediately yourself, so pose a few helpful questions to yourself, like “What just stressed me out just now?” or “What exactly am I avoiding?”
Unplug to Focus
If you reach for devices whenever stress sets in, try your best to create a safeguard to ensure that you aren’t tempted by technology. This can, of course, be difficult when working from home but this tip helps in the long run. Try tuning into your Wi-Fi off or putting your phone in a separate room.
