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9 Helpful Tips to Stay Focused While Working From Home

October 20, 2020 - Posted to Resume Tips

Content working from home

Working from home is almost like a blessing for most, if not everyone. It is an opportunity to achieve that work-life balance we have all been wanting finally.

However, most remote workers are struggling with staying productive and focused. So, here are nine things you can do that will help keep you productive:

Tidy Up

The first thing on our list is tidying up your workspace. Why? Because sometimes, too much clutter makes it harder for us to think better.

It can make us feel overwhelmed and exhausted by just looking at the mess around us while we work.

Getting rid of all the mess and organizing everything will also tidy up your mind. And putting things back in place saves you time searching for stuff you need and improve your mental health. In other words, it will help you focus better.

Remember how it was in your office when your company gets a professional office cleaning service? You should treat your home workspace that way, too.

Minimize Digital Distractions

Once you've cleared your surroundings, you also need to tidy up your digital workspace.

Now that you're working from home, it's easy to get distracted by scrolling through Facebook and other social media sites. Other than that, you can also be bombarded by tons of message notifications, whether it's work-related or not.

Sometimes, those busy notifications will keep you distracted, making it hard for you to focus on finishing one task. It will also make you feel overwhelmed, especially if there are tons of people needing your help on particular job tasks.

To prevent this, we recommend turning off your notifications while working on something. This way, if someone sends you an email or message, you won't get side-tracked.

Just open your emails and messaging apps after you've finished with your work task.

Close Non-Work Related Tabs

The next thing you should do is to close non-work-related tabs.

As mentioned earlier, it's easy to get distracted when you're working from home. With Facebook just a click away and no boss in sight, you can get tempted at going through social media sites rather than working.

To prevent this, you should make sure to close non-work-related tabs before you start working in the morning.

This means taking them off your phone, putting your phone away, or putting a restriction on your laptop if you need to.

Create a Dedicated Workspace

The idea of working from home is that you can now basically work anywhere. This can be in the dining area, the kitchen, on your bed, the patio ‒ it's your call.

However, transferring from one place to another will not really help in terms of focusing. So, even if you're at home, create a dedicated workspace.

This should be a place where you can perform the best. Meaning fewer distractions, good posture, and will inspire you to work.

That said, the people at Maid Sailors Office NYC Office Cleaning recommend that you keep your workspace clean and organize.

Also, working on that dedicated workspace every day will help wire your mind that if you're there, it's time to focus on work.

Set Boundaries

One biggest challenge of working remotely is creating a boundary that would help separate your work from your personal space.

Sometimes, remote employees tend to focus too much on work that they no longer have time for themselves.

Remember, by working from home, you actually now have more time for yourself. So, set boundaries like when should you work and when you can watch your favorite TV show. This way, you get to balance both ‒ quality work and fun life. Here is some advice how employees of a software development company deal with remote work.

Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the most common problems of remote workers. Since there are many distractions, it's tempting to decide to do things later or just tomorrow, especially if you're not on a time-tracker.

However, by frequently doing this, you may not notice that you're only pushing things down to their deadline. And while this works for others, most people will increase their stress, which will cause more delays.

Create a Schedule

In line with setting boundaries for yourself, you may want to create a schedule. This way, you can visually see what you have to do for the day and how many hours you will have to allow for those tasks.

Create a to-do-list and try to arrange it based on priority. Then, think about how many minutes or hours it would take to finish. After that, plot this on your calendar and make sure to stick with that schedule. If possible, plot your break times, too.

Another way to plot your tasks is to schedule the challenging ones when your mind is more active. Doing so allows you to finish it without getting distracted frequently.

Use a Productivity Timer

You can also make use of some digital tools such as a productivity timer. This helps you become more disciplined and focused on finishing your tasks. It helps you become more accountable.

Also, depending on the timer you use, you can get insights on how you work, which will help you refine and improve any processes you've set.

Take Regular Microbreaks

Last, but probably one of the most important is to take regular micro-breaks.

This is different from your lunch breaks, 15-minute breaks, or power naps. These breaks will take 2-5 minutes and are just mainly standing up from your work desk to do some stretching or grab a glass of water.

By taking micro-breaks, you're also giving your mind some rest, even if it's just for a short period. This will help rewire your brain to think more clearly and focus as you get back to work.

Remote working should not be what makes us lose control of our personal life. It should be what makes us enjoy more outside work, make more time to do our hobbies, and finally try out new things. With these nine tips, you can finally get a better hold of your schedule and reap the benefits of remote work.