Working from home was always an appealing perk to the younger segment of the workforce. But with the coronavirus pandemic, millions of American workers have no option but to work from home. That means employees working remotely in the same home as their spouse and children. Suddenly, working from home doesn’t seem all that it was made out to be. You accomplish less and take more time doing even simple tasks. The smallest of distractions disrupt your workflow.
But don’t worry, this blog can show you how to deal with this problem.
Avoiding Distractions When Working From Home
There is a staggering array of technologies that can assist remote workers and make working from home possible. That’s not to mention that internet plans are more accessible than ever before. Devices have grown more advanced, cloud technologies have grown more sophisticated, and collaboration platforms are on the rise. Still, it is not surprising that many workers find their productivity goes down when working from home. This is largely due to distractions that normally aren’t present in the workplace. You can boost your WFH productivity with the following tips:
- Put On Some Music
- Divide Your Work Into Chunks
- Employ Task Managers and Calendars
- Dress the Part
- Create an Office Space at Home
- Display Your Work Schedule at Home
- Identify and Avoid Distractions
- Control Your Phone Activities
Let’s examine these tips in more detail below.
Put On Some Music
One way to increase your focus on work at home is to put on some background sounds. This can be anything from soothing instrumental music to an audiobook on productivity. You can also use several music apps that play music non-stop based on the moods and likes you suggest. Having something on in the background can often boost productivity significantly.
Divide Your Work Into Chunks
Certain people can discipline themselves to remain focused on a project for hours or days. But most of us lose our focus which allows for distractions. One way to stay focused is to divide your day’s work into manageable chunks. That way you have a sense of accomplishment as you complete each chunk, and the day’s goal looks more attainable than it otherwise would.
Employ Task Managers and Calendars
If you’re the kind of individual with the mental capacity to keep track of all your tasks and appointments, that’s great for you. But most of us aren’t as mentally agile. This is where using simple things like digital to-do lists and the calendars on your PC or smartphone can be useful. This serves two purposes. First, it can be a sort of a brain-dump, where you can dump all your tasks and free up space in your head to focus on them one at a time. The second purpose is that it can help you prioritize your tasks and execute them accordingly.
Dress the Part
You wouldn’t show up at the office in your pajamas, so why should you dress like that when you’re working from home? Part of being productive at home is to stick to a disciplined routine. That includes getting up at your regular time, freshening up, and getting dressed. You will be amazed at how this simple step can get you into a productive mindset for the day.
Create an Office Space at Home
If you’re working from your couch or from your bed, you are bound to experience productivity issues. More so if you share your space with other people like family or roommates. Designating a specific space in your home as your office can help insulate you from distractions. It can help emulate the same discipline and work ethic that you bring to the workplace.
Display Your Work Schedule at Home
Remember, unless it is an emergency, work comes first. Don’t let the people at home think you are on an extended vacation from work. Working from home means you still need to get the job done at the end of the day. Communicating and displaying your work schedule to the people you share space with is important. That way, nobody bothers you with trivial things that distract you from work.
Identify and Avoid Distractions
Identify and get rid of the major distraction at home before you sit down to work. You are more likely to be productive without things hanging over your head. For example, if you know your kitchen is a mess, then clean it up before you start working. Don’t let it distract you during business hours.
Control Your Phone Activities
In most cases, the biggest distraction for most workers is their personal smartphones. A simple glance at your phone can engage your attention and waste hours of time you could spend productively. As a rule, limit your phone activity to essential things, like calling Spectrum support if you are experiencing connectivity issues. For all other activities, limit your usage until the workday is over.
