How to Stay Focused When Working From Home

September 8, 2020

Are you working from home? It’s only natural that you might get distracted sometimes. Click here for some tips on how to stay focused as you work!

Working from home is a luxury that not everyone gets to have, so if you’re working from home you need to make sure that you take advantage of the situation in a positive way.

You don’t have the distractions of other coworkers, uncomfortable environments, and if you’re lucky you can even work in your pajamas. Yet, there are still many things to distract you in your own home.

There are plenty of ways for how to stay focused if you work from home so that you can still get your work done.

Keep reading for our guide on the top tips and tricks to help you stay focused when working from home.

Table of Contents

Create a Schedule and Set Boundaries

Working from home can feel like you’re free to do anything. It can also feel like that to your friends and family members too! When you’re learning how to avoid distractions you need to create a schedule for yourself and set boundaries for your work times.

If you’re someone who is working a remote job and you already have a strict 9-5 schedule, then that’s great. Yet, if you’re someone who can work on their own time, then you’re going to want to set specific hours that you’re working from.

Don’t Get Burned Out

Working at random times in your day can feel like you’re constantly working and that you never get a break. This can lead to burnout very fast.

Instead, create a schedule and stick with it. If you’re a morning person, then work in the mornings. On the other hand, if you’re a late riser or like to get chores around the house done before work, then pick a start time that is later in the day.

Enforce Your Work Schedule

Lastly, make sure that you let everyone know what your scheduled work time is. Even though you’re not leaving the house to work, you still need to limit your distractions from friends and family who could call you on the phone or stop by for a visit. Let them know of your work schedule beforehand so that they won’t try to bother you during your work time.

Limit Your Other Distractions

Another way to learn how to stop being distracted is to limit all your other distractions. You might be asking yourself how is it possible to do that?

What is Distracting You?

First, you need to figure out what exactly is distracting you. Sometimes it could be all the other apps, notifications, or popups on your computer.

If that’s the case, then you can actually download a screen dimmer to help limit your distractions. This will make it so that you can focus on the task at hand without all the background popups appearing on your page.

Find the Best Workspace

Other distractions that might be making it impossible for you to figure out how to focus better are things going on in your home. Your workspace might be too close to the main meeting area in your home.

Either try to find a better workspace in your home or remind everyone what your work hours are. If the people in your home are conscious that you’re working. Then they might try a bit harder to be quieter or find another place to chat.

Use Timers on Your Phone

A great tip for how to stay focused working from home is to set timers on your phone for when you need to get work done. Your phone can be another huge distraction especially if it is constantly going off with notifications.

If you’re aiming to get a big chunk of work done, then set a 30 minute to an hour timer on your phone. During that time you can’t look at your phone, but rather need to focus on being productive and getting work done.

Reward Yourself

Once the timer goes off, then you can reward yourself with 5 minutes to 15 minutes of phone time depending on how long of a break you can have during your workday.

An extra tip is to put your phone completely out of sight and turn silent mode on when the timer is on. This way you won’t be tempted to pick it up and will be more focused on work. You will still be able to hear the alarm go off when the time is up.

Don’t Do Household Chores

Doing household chores can sound quick and easy but it is something that can be a huge distraction in your workday. Doing them during your lunch break or short breaks is perfectly fine. If you’re stopping work to get something done, then this could ruin your productivity.

You may think that loading the dishwasher between tasks is easy, but it could put a damper on getting things done. The best thing you can do is save the household chores for when you clock out of work.

If you didn’t work from home, then things wouldn’t get done until later anyways. Don’t ruin your focus and productivity for your work to get something done.

Get Ready and Have Breakfast in the Morning

One of the best ways to make sure that you’re staying focused and productive while staying home. Working is to wake up and get ready in the mornings. Even though you work from home and the option to stay in your pajamas all day is there. It is much better to wake up and get ready for the day.

Getting Ready Is the Key to Success

When you get dressed for the day and have breakfast, then you’re giving your body time to wake up. This is going to help you feel more productive when it comes time to start working.

If you stay in pajamas all day or don’t get dressed, then you’re going to feel sluggish and like you want to go back to sleep. Getting dressed and having breaking is one of the best ways for how to stay focused when working from home.