Lifestyle

Staying Focused While Working From Home

With everyday life slowly going back to ‘normal’, a lot of people are going back to work. For a lot of people, this still means working from home. If you are still working, you might find things that will easily distract you. (especially since I have just bought the new Animal Crossing on the switch) But here are 10 tips to keep you focused during the workday!

Set Up A Designated Workspace.

One of the first things you need to do when preparing to work from home is to designate an area in your home, specifically to work.

This could be a home office you already have access to. A spare room or if you’re pressed for space, like me, clear your kitchen table to create a mini home office. I currently have a small round table in my kitchen/living room that I have cleared of any mess. Only my essentials for work are permitted onto the table. This includes my laptop, notebook, water bottle and a candle (everyone always needs a candle). My workspace is part of my living room, so to stop temptation from watch anything, I have sat facing away from the TV.

Make sure you commit to sitting in your designated workspace. Make sure it’s quiet so you can concentrate on the tasks you need to.

Set Your Work Hours

The beauty of working from home is you can have a bit of flexibility when it comes to your work hours. First things first are to set your alarm. I work 9-5pm, so I will stick with these hours as my body is comfortable with this.

Make sure when your workday is over, you separate yourself from your work area. Communicate with your colleagues, make sure you take breaks and eat your lunch like you normally would when at work.

Dress For Work

One thing I was looking forward to when working from home, was to be able to wear PJs and work! Straight away I knew this was a bad idea.

Instead of putting full work attire on, I compromised with myself and decided to wear smart casual. If dressing smartly will add to your focus, please dress to your ability to focus.

Keep Or Develop A Morning Routine

Another perk of working from home is not having to get up and rush to get out of the door and then commute to the office. Since you’re going to be sitting inside, why not take a brief walk outside before you start your day. This will help get into work mode before sitting down in your area.

Make sure you keep your morning routine as well. This will help when we all eventually go back to work. Have a shower, make your tea, coffee, and breakfast and also prepare your lunch like you would usually.

Exercise and Stretch Regularly

Exercising naturally produces endorphins, this increases happiness, interest, and enjoyment. Everything you need and that is vital for productivity.

Make sure you set yourself goals that you want to achieve. This will give you more motivation to keep up with your exercise. Now I am no fitness expert and am very much a beginner, I might in the next days or week post a fitness blog of an easy home routine to do.

Stay In Contact With Colleagues

I don’t know about anyone else place of work, but my colleagues are my friends and family. Even though it’s only been a week since I’ve seen them, it’s a big change when you are used to seeing them 5 days a week sometimes 6 or 7 times.

Make sure you have regular updates with each other. Every day, my team takes lunch at the same time and facetime each other and catch up on everything that is happening. Just like we would in the office.

Don’t forget to relax and have a bit of fun too 🙂

Listen To Music

Sometimes listening to music helps concentration. Choose a motivating playlist that you know will help you focus on your work. This could be from Spotify, YouTube or even the radio. Try to avoid playing these through the Tv so you don’t get tempted.

Schedule Reading Time

If your anything like me, you’ll love to read a good book but can never find the time to actually sit there and read. Schedule an allocated time slot, either every day, weekly or how often you want. This will keep your work life and home life balanced, meaning you won’t be overworked. ‘The Existence Of Amy’ by Lana Grace Riva is a great book to read if you don’t have a lot of free time to read.

Stay Off Social Media

I think we are all guilty of spending a bit too much time on social media. You can waste so much time if you’re not careful. Give yourself set breaks to check social media and catch up with people outside of work. Doing this will help you stay focused and get the job done!

Stay Positive!

In times like this, we all need to stay safe and be kind to one another. Keep your work life and home life as separate as you can. Have regular breaks, keep in contact with friends and family. Do things you enjoy as well.

Luckily I have my extremely affectionate cat Fenrir to keep me company and give me lots of cuddles.