5 Easy Ways to Overcome Work From Home Distractions
There are an infinite number of potential distractions when working from home, and sometimes, they get the better of us.
After all, we're only human. Right?
The issue comes when they get the better of us all of the time. Below we've listed our 5 quick and easy-to-implement tricks for avoiding those distractions (and don't worry, they won't cost you a penny, dime or cent!).
1. Develop a morning routine. This might sound simple, but a routine allows you to go on auto pilot (and on auto pilot, you're less likely to get distracted).
A good morning routine doesn't have to be special, here's mine:
- Get up & shower to my 'Morning Hits' playlist
- Brush my teeth whilst thinking about my brekkie
- Head down, make & eat my breakfast whilst listening to a podcast (sometimes this is work related, sometimes it's motivational, other days it's just a cool story - I love 'How I Built This')
- Drink my coffee & read an article related to my industry
- Head to my office and start my work day
This allows me to keep my morning to 45 minutes, maximise my sleep and get to my laptop quickly, but not in a rush. But most importantly, this routine stops me from scrolling through social media.
2. Plan breaks into your day. This will help you stay focused during tasks.
If you aren't already planning your day, it's a great place to start. But more importantly than planning your day, is planning your breaks.
It's important to have regular breaks to create a sustainable working day and avoid burn out in the long run. Having established break times will help you concentrate during those working hours.
Here's a simple working day structure (which involves lots of snacks!):
- 7:30 - 9:00 - Complete the single most important task for the day
- 9 - 9:15 - Tea
- 9:15 - 10:30 - Client work
- 10:30 - 11:00 - Coffee & Snack break
- 11 - 13:00 - Client work
- 13 - 13:30 - Lunch
- 13:30 - 14:00 - Walk/Movement Break
- 14 - 15:30 - Client work
- 15:30 - Done! Finish your working day and do the things you love
3. Leave the house. You may have seen 'movement break' in my daily plan. In this break i always leave the house (yes, even if it's raining).
Getting outside releases serotonin; the endorphin which makes you happy! Even just walking will help to release this and make you smile. Not to mention the vitamin D benefits & the increased oxygen to your brain.
So how does this help you avoid distractions? Well, firstly because of the benefits above you'll feel refreshed and ready to work. Changing your environment is one of the most powerful ways to reset your brain for a good afternoon.
Secondly, I strategically put my movement break in after lunch to avoid that post lunch slump! We all know the feeling of returning to our desks after a yummy lunch and wanting to take a nap. This is when our willpower against distractions is at its lowest. Getting outside after lunch will help you overcome this!
4. Put yourself in 'Do Not Disturb' mode. This one is self explanatory.
Put your phone on 'Do Not Disturb' (DND) mode during tasks. Even if you're able to avoid looking at your phone when it lights up, your mind will still be distracted. Employing 'Do Not Disturb' will eliminate this distraction.
But point 4 isn't just this, the other way to put yourself into DND mode is to avoid checking your emails during other tasks.
Emails are one of the biggest work day distractions and they can feel productive, but checking your emails every 30 minutes will inhibit your productivity. Just like you plan other tasks into your day, plan a time to reply to your emails too and don't look at them at any other time!
5. Create a workspace. We know not everyone is boujie enough to have an office (and this certainly isn't a picture of ours!), but that doesn't stop you from setting up a space each day.
How will this help you avoid distractions we hear you ask...
To make this work as our best trick for avoiding distractions it's important to set yourself one key rule: Only work in your workspace. That means no scrolling, no looking out the video, no drinking tea or Netflix (despite how good The Queens Gambit is!).
How convert your kitchen table into your workspace:
- Have a set up that you repeat each day. Whether that's getting your sticky notes out or opening your diary, this routine will help establish that it's no longer your kitchen table.
- Don't eat at the table whilst your laptop is on it. This is a really important part of breaking up your work day too.
- Place a plant or flowers near you.
- Sit opposite the window if possible. Not only does this prevent that pesky screen reflection, but it also helps to keep you awake!
If you’ve found this helpful (or if it provoked any questions), I’d love to hear from you! You can reach out to me personally at - [email protected] or on instagram.
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