Even though you work from home or at the office, there can be many distractions around you. In workplace setups, chatting with colleagues and office guests can affect your focus. While working at home can be pretty challenging since it will test your discipline.
Due to the recent events brought by the pandemic, many employees are allowed to work from the safety of their homes. While this setup may favor many workers, it could make it hard for an individual to stay focused. And we all know what happens when an employee gets distracted, their productivity and work efficiency decline.
But don’t worry, we compiled a few tips to help you stay focused while working remotely. These tips will enable you to do your job despite the countless disturbances around you. Let’s start.
Staying Focused While Working Remotely
Know Yourself
People work efficiently at different times of the day. Some are better at working in the morning, and others prefer to work at night. Whatever your preferences are, pause for a while and determine at what time you best perform.
According to studies, a persons’ workplace does not necessarily affect their performance. However, working during the hours when they are most productive can be the key to better work performance.
So if you notice that you work better from noon onward, schedule your most essential tasks at those hours. You can save less important tasks at a later time or when you feel less productive.
Consciously Avoid Distractions
Social media is one of the common distractions at work, whether at the office or home. Many people have difficulty staying focused at work because they have easy access to their Facebook or Instagram accounts. In fact, this is why companies get workplace monitoring software to save their employees from unnecessary distractions.
But how are you going to avoid your social media accounts when you work at home? Here are some tips that you might find helpful:
- Turn your notifications off.
- Block unimportant websites.
- Put your mobile phone away from you.
To-Do List
Creating a to-do list may be traditional for some, but it is an effective way to stay focused. Highlight the most urgent and essential tasks and prioritize doing them. Your list should include all the things you need to do for the day so you won’t have to cram on the following workdays.
Design a Home Office
One of the perks of working at home is the freedom to work anywhere, anytime. Yet, setting up a home office may still be a good idea to help you stay focused. Creating a home office will encourage you to focus on doing your work as it gives you the office vibe as well.
Discipline Goes A Long Way
As much as we hate to admit it, a work-at-home setup isn’t ideal for everyone. In working at home, there is a tendency for people to slack off during work hours. The key to successful remote work is by practicing work discipline. Don’t forget that even though you are working at home, your company still expects you to perform well, so do your best and don’t let anything affect your work etiquette.
Take a Break
Taking a break indeed helps an individual work better. Most people need at least a 90-minute break from work daily to be efficient. But working at home may cause you to overbreak or spend too much time napping. Not scheduling your breaks could put you at risk of poor performance and may even cost you more.
To prevent this from happening, schedule your breaks for the day and strictly adhere to them. For example, you can have a 15-minute coffee break in the morning, a 1-hour lunch break at noon, and another 15-minute break in the afternoon. By doing this, you are practicing self-discipline and shows how much you value your job.
Physical Activity
One of the downsides of working at home is the lack of physical activities. You might not notice, but the short walks you took when you were still working in the office strengthened your muscles and helped in keeping you active throughout the day.
However, physical activity is somewhat disregarded in remote work setups. During your free time, spent at least 30 minutes working out. Exercises strengthen your physical body and refresh your mind, which is essential in staying focused daily.
You see, you may get occasionally distracted, and that’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it too much. Being focused while working at home is a challenge that most people face nowadays, but you will get the hang of it with a few adjustments. Integrate the tips above slowly into your daily routine and see the improvements you make in everyday work.
