Staying FOCUSED (while working from home with distractions)

For many people working from home has become the new norm. This unique place to spend our workday brings opportunities (great access to family) and challenges (our family has great access to us!)

The biggest hurdle can be finding effective strategies to stay focused. Below are my seven tips to getting more done from the spare bedroom. There’s many more I could list, but these are my top recommendations based on my research, feedback from coaching clients, and my personal experience of working from home.

Embrace doing only one thing at a time

The consensus is clear – we cannot multitask as effectively as we think. Trying to do too many things at a time decreases the quality of our work, burns us out faster, and lowers our overall activity. The day you stop pretending you’re the exception to the rule of “one thing at a time” is the day you start get more done. Not only that, but you’ll probably have more energy at the end of the day because your brain wasn’t constantly switching quickly between different tasks which burns is very tiresome for it.

Set more intention

Those who get the most work done strategically prioritize tasks. They don’t just do whatever’s at the top of their to do list or whatever is easiest. They start their day by making a list of everything they could do, and order their tasks by importance. This process helps you focus because throughout the day because at any given time you know you’re working on the most important task. It’s easier to get distracted when you’re not confident what you’re doing is important.

If you’re dreading one of your tasks for the day, do it first. That way you can spend the day with it behind your instead of dreading it in front of you.

Know your distraction triggers

Focus is a matter of removing distractions. With that in mind, let’s talk about your phone. You must understand your phone is designed to steal your attention away from whatever you’re doing so it can get you to interact with whatever ad-supported platform you’ve installed on it. Facebook only makes money if you’re scrolling!

Today, go into your phone settings and turn off anything that makes your phone buzz. The vibration of your phone from incoming notifications probably decreases more productivity than you realize because once you’ve taken your attention away from your task it will take even longer to get back in the flow of it. So, unless you need a notification turned on in case of emergencies, turn off all buzzing. Nowadays my phone only vibrates for phone calls and alarms. It’s the best decision I ever made for my productivity and inner peace.

Take breaks every hour

When the brain is allowed a short break to reset at regular intervals, it’s able to work longer and be more effective. Take 5 minutes every hour to stand up, walk around, shake your arms out, and clear your head. This will keep you alert, focused, and energized for the task at hand.

Make a “Fake Emergency” List

This is especially effective if you’re prone to jumping between tasks that all feel urgent. Keep a running list of fake emergencies where you dump all the little to-dos and ideas you want to remember. If, while you’re working, you recall a task you need to do or a new thought crosses your mind you want to develop, write it on this list. Then GO BACK to whatever important thing you were already doing.

Finally, schedule every week to attack that list. You’ll probably discover most tasks that felt urgent in the moment weren’t actually as pressing as you thought they were.

Block your time

Time blocking is the tried-and-true method for maintaining a world class calendar. If you don’t already, take time at the beginning of every week to schedule in important projects into your calendar. If you’re just starting out the key is to start small and achievable. Don’t try to schedule in every last minute of your day, just focus on scheduling in the hyper-important items that must get done that week. Once you’ve built up the muscle of time-slotting your critical tasks and actually stick to it for a few weeks, then you can schedule more things into your calendar.

If right now your calendar is mainly defined by what you feel like doing next, this discipline could be a game changer for you. The end goal is you get to a place where you’re no longer consulting your feelings about what to do next during your workday, but you’re consulting your calendar. Having the self-control to focus on what matters is a sign of true maturity.

Create a sacred productivity playlist

My last tip is to find or build a music playlist that is used exclusively for work. Listen to it exclusively while doing tasks that require focus. Like sleep doctors recommend staying away from your bed unless you’re trying to sleep, I recommend staying away from this playlist unless you’re trying to get stuff done. This rhythm will train your brain to get into gear when it hears the music. If you need a recommendation, I highly enjoy ‘Deep Focus’ on Spotify.

Working from home can be hard but utilizing the right habits and strategies can helps us produce results we never thought were possible. These strategies not only increase our productivity but can help us stay more energized, vibrant and happy throughout the week. You got this. You have what it takes. Now get out there and create the impossible in your life!

-Joey