How to Limit Distractions When Working From Home
Working from home is never as productive as working in the office, especially if your home environment is filled with distractions. When you want to be more productive when working from home, you will need to learn to limit these distractions, which you can do using the methods below.
Have an Office Space
Although it may seem convenient to work from your couch, chances are you won’t get near as much accomplished when you don’t have a dedicated workspace in your home. At the very least, you should have some sort of desk available, as well as a door that you can close to your office space to keep people out.
This doesn’t haven’t be a designated office if your home doesn’t have space. It could simply mean setting up a desk in a guest room in your home. Just make sure it isn’t the kitchen, where nearby food can prove to be as much of a distraction as working from the couch.
Don’t Have A TV In Your Office
Though it may seem tempting to keep up with your favorite sport while working from home, having a TV in your workspace is never a good idea. TVs usually only cause distractions and limit your productive time. It isn’t just the TV, besides the computer, you are working on, you should try to keep your office generally electronic free. And if this means you need to leave your cell phone in another room of the house, then so be it.
Have Calming Music On
If other people have to be at home while you are working from home, it can be difficult to focus when you hear them talking in the background. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, noise from outside may cause you to lose focus as well. It’s best to have some white noise going in the background to help keep you focused on the task at hand. This can be anything from a fan to calming music. You can additionally experiment wearing headphones as you work if this is permitted for your job.
Working from home can be a struggle, especially if you’ve got others in your household that work from home as well. Just make sure that you have a dedicated office space to work, free from most electronic distractions. It would help if you also experimented with background noise to find what sounds help you stay focused at work best.