More and more, working from home is becoming a viable option for many companies. That’s a great thing – since it provides so much more flexibility and saves on time wasted on commuting and gas money. But it can be all too easy to become distracted if you’re not careful.
Lock Yourself in a Room
The first boundary that you can put up between yourself and your distractions is a physical one. It’s very helpful when working from home to have a certain space that is devoted to your work. Ideally, this space is devoid of distractions and separate from anything that could become a distraction. Unfortunately, this might mean needing to be separate from spouses or kids – or even just from the guitar in the living room. Locking your door to your workspace will give the pause you need when you instinctually try to leave, to ask yourself, “Am I done? Do I want to pause right now?”
Work in a Café
Working in a public, moderately busy space (like a café) can have several advantages. While to some, the business going on in the background may be distracting, to others it provides a layer of white noise that helps you to focus. Silence can be very annoying to certain people. By being in a public space, you might feel more encouraged to work instead of surfing the web or wasting time in other ways. You will also likely have free Wi-Fi access. Free Wi-Fi has certain costs, such as increased security risks. You are more vulnerable to hackers on a public network but are getting it for free, which can be very helpful if you’re paying for limited data or don’t have Wi-Fi at home.
Turn Off Distractions
Target the specific distractions that seem to really get you. For many, even just having a phone to check can be extremely detrimental. You feel a vibration, glance at the notification – and before you know it, you’ve been on social media for thirty minutes. Don’t be afraid to turn it off completely. Do the same to the game console. If you end up surfing the web on your work computer, put temporary web safeguards in place that prevent you from going to your favorite stomping grounds for a certain period.
Working from home isn’t for everybody; it’s a lot easier to get distracted when the rest of your life is so close and surrounding you. But if you prefer the really fast commute, keep these ideas in mind to make working from home as productive as possible.
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