Lauren Riley
In an industry like digital, it’s quite common for employees to work partly or fully from home thanks to most of the work being conducted online and easy access to cloud storage, emails etc.
While this is seen as a massive positive from an employee’s point of view – no commute, more time spent at home and not having to deal with any annoying co-workers – the temptation to procrastinate is fierce.
When you’re in the comfort of your own home, you might be tempted to slob out in your pyjamas, watch a bit of TV or play on your favourite computer game – but you need to stay focused otherwise the luxury of working from home will soon disappear.
With that in mind, here are some tips on staying focused while working remotely.
Get Up And Dressed
Being focused while working from home is all about having the right mindset – and that won’t be the case if you’ve just rolled out of bed and straight into your onesie.
Making sure you’re up, showered and wearing something relatively professional will make you feel fresh, focused and ready to face the day ahead.
Now, I’m not saying you need to put on a suit to sit in your house,but as long as you’re not in your scruffiest clothes you’ll feel more in work mode and clear-minded.
Create A Positive Working Environment
it’s true what they say: a clear space means a clear mind, and this is truer than ever when it comes to getting work done at home.
Even if Feng Shui isn’t really your thing, making sure that wherever you’re working – whether it be in a home office or the kitchen table – is rid of any clutter or distractions will really benefit you in terms of staying focused.
Turn off any TVs close to your work space and try to ensure that the room is getting plenty of natural light to do your best to replicate a working environment.
Set Working Hours
Just because you’re working from home, that doesn’t mean that normal office hours go out of the window – and sticking to them will ensure that you’re as focused as you can be at all times.
Make sure you take your lunch hour, and try not to take more breaks than you normally would if you were in the office as you’re bound to be more easily distracted.
Also, let your family or housemates know your working arrangements so they know not to disturb you at those times to allow you to focus.
Communicate With Colleagues
When you work from home, it can be easy to end up feeling quite disconnected from your colleagues in the office, or others working remotely, and this can have a negative effect on your productivity and focus.
This is why it’s a really good idea to stay in contact with the rest of your team via email or telephone at regular intervals throughout the day.
Depending on your role in the business, another good way of staying connected and focused is to set up a morning Hangout or Skype call with your colleagues to discuss the day’s work and goals etc – this will keep you in the loop and give you specific things to focus on.
So there we go, some tips on staying focused when you’re working from home. Do you agree with this advice, or have any helpful tips of your own?
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