Five Ways To Stay Focused When Working At Home

Five Ways To Stay Focused When Working At Home

Working at home can be a great thing, but it is important to maximize productivity during your work time, so you can find a balance between working at home and relaxing at home time. I’m not able to work from home all the time, but when I do, I find that I’m at my best when I eliminate distractions and stay focused.

Five Ways To Stay Focused When Working At Home

In the past I’ve shared tips for organizing your day as an entrepreneur, and while some of those tips could fit here, too (like not letting email take over your whole day), this is really a list about maximizing your focus. 

1. Find The Time Of Day That Works For You

If you have flexibility in your work from home schedule, spend a week working at different times of the day. Be mindful of when you are at your best and when you are tired, slow, or more easily distracted. Build your schedule around your peek work times and stick to them.

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Take Breaks

Breaks are a good thing when you are working from home, as long as you are intentional about not letting breaks turn into unplanned days off of work. Some people find that a 17-minute break every 52 minutes is helpful. Other people follow their ultradian rhythm, and work for 90-120 minutes tackling work and then take a 20-minute break to eat a snack or sneak in a mini-workout.

I find that taking breaks too often actually causes me to lose focus, as it takes some time for me to dig back into what I was doing before I stepped away from my work. But a short break every couple of hours is good to clear my mind and come back with fresh ideas and renewed focus. Even a quick trip outside to check the mail can make a big difference.

3. Create A Dedicated Work Space…And Use It!

I know I’m not the only one who has walked right past my home office and opted to sit on the couch, snuggled under a warm blanket, to work instead. But I know I’m at my best, and my most focused, when I use my dedicated work space for work.

If you don’t have a dedicated work space in your home, now is the time to set one up! It doesn’t have to be fancy, or even a fully dedicated room, as long as your brain knows that when you sit down (preferably at a desk or table) it is work time.

For help setting up the perfect work from home space, read my tips for setting up a home office space that works for you! 

4. Find The Right Kind Of Music, Or No Music At All

Background noise can help you to concentrate, if it’s the right kind of noise. I have several Spotify playlists I use throughout the day when I’m working at home, but my most-used one is the classical music I play when I’m writing.

Some people like having the TV playing in the background, but I can’t concentrate on work if a TV is playing. If TV or music are too distracting for you, a while noise machine might be a good idea. Or you might just need a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones. While you are at it, it could be a good idea to put your phone on silent if you aren’t expecting any business-related calls. Try different things and see what works best.

5. Block Social Media Distractions And Other Time Suckers

For me it’s Instagram, for you it might be something else, but we all have apps or websites that suck away our time. If you find yourself getting pulled in by your favorite sites when you should be working from home, you can try using an app or browser extension that blocks your access during your work day. A few popular ones include, FocusMe, SelfControl, and Offtime, but there are a lot of choices out there.

Once you have a plan in place for where and when you will work at home, and create an environment that fosters focus, you will be able to work from home successfully.

If you have any work from home tips, please share them in the comments. I’d love to give them a try the next time I’m working from home.

XOXO,

BLENDstyles