I have recently landed a wonderful opportunity to work from home on a job that seems tailor-made for me. There are, however, niggling doubts in my mind about how best to handle distractions that are sure to be around.
What could be different ways to eliminate distractions on a work-from-home job? I realized there would broadly be two ways to do this: I could either try and eliminate them or work around them so that I remain productive. Working in a separate room, setting strict rules with family members, and planning meticulously will help eliminate distractions. Similarly moving my work away from disturbance-prone areas and exercising willpower would help circumvent other types of problems.
Remembering why you began working from home in the first place will help you gain a fresh perspective into this conundrum and suggest solutions as you move ahead.
Looking into the aspect of working from home
Before we delve into this aspect, let us take a look at what working from home involves and some of the pros and cons thereof:
What does it mean to work from home?
Working from home means an arrangement where one does not have to commute to a place of work like an office or store. One can work from the comfort of home. Also known as telecommuting, remote work, mobile work and flexible workplace, working from home is an option that is increasingly gaining popularity with the working populace.
What kinds of jobs are available for working from home?
We are listing only a few of many here:
- Transcriptionist.
- Paralegal.
- Real estate manager.
- Nursing care.
- Web developer.
- Data entry operator.
- Virtual assistant.
- Travel agent.
- Translator.
Positives and negatives of working from home
Pros:
- Flexibility of work timings.
- Being around for family.
- Indulging in your hobbies.
Cons:
- Monotony from the sameness of work.
- Depression arising from loneliness.
- Too many distractions.
Ways to eliminate distractions in working from home
Many kinds of distractions can arise when you decide to work from home. From the pending laundry to the incessantly ticking clock, everything has the potential to distract you and take away your focus. This loss of focus has been the subject of many studies and it has been found that every distraction eats into the time we devote to work. It takes time and effort to focus back. Let us try and categorize kinds of distractions and ways to counter them.
Family distractions
1. Talk to kids. Spell out to them the importance of your job and the need for alone time where they cannot walk in unless it is an emergency. This will also help you work guilt-free.
2. Talk to spouse. They tend to feel ignored at times, especially when you might need to devote more time in order to meet deadlines at work. Convey the sanctity of your work and stress upon the fact that it is as much ‘work’ as being on-site. 3. Family expectations. For many in the family, working from home is equivalent to being home, in other words, available at all times. Onus is on you to clearly spell out your priorities.
3. Discuss with parents. Parents do need attention and you are right to put them first, but not at the cost of work. Convince them that you are there for them but work hours need to be undisturbed except in case of emergencies.
4. School events.You are technically at home and ‘supposed’ to be available. If there are kids’ school events, plan ahead, so that you can meet schedules.
5. Illnesses. This is unpredictable both in terms of severity and time. Even a minor common cold, either to you or some family member, can be enough to distract you. Help might not be available either. Get other family members to contribute towards care.
6. Think about childcare. It is not easy to handle small kids and being there as well as being into your job. Both eventually suffer from lack of adequate attention. Childcare could be a good option.
7. Pet care. Having a pet to care for at home is a big distraction. It can become quite a challenge. It is better to look for someone to look after your pet, take it out, and provide company while you work during the day.
8. Spell out rules. People at home should know certain work periods are sacrosanct and they just cannot violate those rules.
9. Stick to rules. If you are perceived as someone prone to giving in and bending rules, then you can take it from a veteran that they will be taking liberties.
Wandering mind distractions
10. No TV at work. Some of us have the habit of always having the TV blaring in the background when there is nothing else going on. This constant noise and imagery can be a big distraction in a work environment. Come to think of it, have you ever had TV blaring in any office?
11. Avoid shopping online. Websites are pretty intrusive these days and if you have ever searched some product online, special ‘offers’ have a way of popping up at times. One needs iron will to not get lured by some ridiculously low-priced outfit peeking over at you.
12. Stop browsing aimlessly. Although this can be a good break from the monotony of working alone, it is a trap of epic proportions. The internet can lure you away to a world of wonders and end up losing count of time.
13. Avoid questionable websites. Working online exposes one’s systems to the possibility of virus and malware exposure, especially unsecured sites. They cause distraction not only with content but also work due to virus exposure.
14. Set times for errands. It is true that working from home means the added responsibility of getting household jobs done, on time too. However if you do not set a pattern or timeslot for this, you might end up getting sucked into the never ending chores at the cost of work.
15. Limit coffee breaks. A break is perfect, but not too many coffee breaks. Structure your work day in a manner that you factor in constructive breaks which help you focus back on work.
16. Set work hours. This is one of the best ways to eliminate distraction and restore order to remote work. This is office after all only that you happen to be working from home. Knowing you begin and end work at designated times helps to focus.
17. Single-minded focus. Remember you chose to work from home for a reason and stay on point to achieve that end. Possessing supreme focus helps bypass any kind of distractions at home.
18. Firm resolve. Anything from a misplaced school book to guests popping in can affect you. Develop steely resolve to achieve your goals for the day.
19. No phone around. Everything is in our phones and every kind of distraction as well. Keep the phone away when working from home. Mute notifications to begin with since each ‘ping’ takes your focus away. If that does not work, it is better to keep the phone in another room.
20. Manage e-mail notifications. E-mail is yet another distraction taking away your focus from work. Have a dedicated work e-mail account. You can mute notifications on non-work account when you are at work.
21. Set a work span. Tell yourself that you will be working a certain number of minutes, say 50 minutes at a stretch and then go for a 10-minute break. Knowing that a break is coming up at regular intervals will help you to direct your focus on the work at hand much better.
22. Set breaks. As discussed above, in the same manner that you work towards eliminating distractions by setting work timings, it is essential to set break times as well. You can attend to your personal messages or take a peek at social media updates instead of doing this while working.
23. Change your workplace.Remember that we also tend to get distracted when bored. Working in the same place looking at the same things can get monotonous. Get up and go to a different room, or outside to a quiet corner in a cafe or park.
24. Work off-hours. At times, on-site people end up distracting way too much asking for updates or status. If your job agrees to this, you could consider working off hours.
25. Play music. Does this sound contradictory? It is in fact a good aid to help you concentrate. All you need is some soft music playing in the background to cancel out other distracting sounds around home.
26. Take unscheduled but monitored breaks. The set routine of work-break-work gets to you at times. Break the routine at times but monitor yourself and get back to work on time. Having no one breathing down your neck as in a conventional office setting can be too tempting for some.
27. Make your ‘to-do’ list. It can get overwhelming at times to handle myriad duties at home while meeting deadlines and attending meetings at work. Setting out with a to-do list will help you focus on the job at hand.
28. Keep off social media. There is nothing more distracting and unproductive than social media. Your mind is needlessly distracted into unnecessary arguments and forced gaiety that you do not need while at work.
29. Exercise to regain focus. Online work, which is essentially what remote work is all about, is highly sedentary in nature. One tends to get caught up in this and the inactivity causes the mind to wander. Instead of indulging in social media or other online interaction, pick yourself up and go for a walk outside. Come back to work rejuvenated.
30. Practice meditation. This is not easy but if you can master it, it works like magic. Not only do you get some moments of intense calm and amazing focus, this trains your mind to remain focused on the job at hand and overcome distractions.
31. Try some yoga. Again about internalizing your breathing techniques and mind control, yoga works to keep you mentally and physically agile and alert at everything you do.
32. Read a book or leaf through a magazine. While keeping an eye on time it is a good idea to look through an interesting article or read some pages of a book in order to refresh your mind from the stressful work scenario.
33. Take care to avoid boredom. As already stated we tend to get distracted and look for more interesting things to do when we are bored. Address this element of working from home first. Take steps to prevent boredom setting in.
34. Occasionally reward yourself. Instead of getting distracted and letting work suffer, it is better to give yourself a break out of turn or do something interesting that is away from normal.
35. Indulge yourself. This is also like a reward system where you allow yourself the luxury of wasting some time on stuff other than work, especially after a really rough session.
36. Go get up to eat. Do not make a habit of eating at your workstation since you will end up constantly reaching for that wafer or candy while working. Once you realize you need to physically get up for food, you will automatically focus on work and eat during breaks.
37. Be social. Realize that staying virtual most of the day can make you lose focus easily since you will be craving company. Schedule yourself to find time with friends.
38. Surfing. Beware! Your work might require you to surf the web and then you find yourself gone from work for long. Set a time limit and make sure you focus back on work.
39. Find out your distractions. Every one of us has their own personal distracters that are different from others. I might like music to play in the background while you may totally freak out. Single out your own irritants and work to eliminate them best you can.
40. Visualize your goals. Keeping a workflow chart in full view of your workstation will help you internalize your goals better and help focus more.
41. Cultivate patience. Lot of patience is a big virtue for remote work. With innumerable issues cropping up around you, it pays to be patient in handling all of these expertly.
Chores-related distractions
42. Paying bills. This is an essential part of any household and these bills need to be paid on time too. However let this not become a distraction for you. Most bills can be paid online these days. All you need to do is set reminders for yourself so you do not miss dates.
43. Outdoor chores. While it is advised for remote workers to take regular breaks and meet with real people, it is to be remembered that such outings create a shift in focus and it might take long to get back in the ‘zone’.
44. Housework woes. Chores will need to be done but let not unfinished stuff weigh on your mind to the extent you keep going back to undone dishes and uncooked dinners. Plan well ahead and tackle each issue as they come along.
Work-related distractions
45. Dress up like work. This might be a home setting but getting up and ready and dressed for work instils discipline and goes a long way in making the ambience more formal and helps one to focus more and ignore distractions.
46. Formal seating and ambience. Make your home office comfortable yet formal, in seating as well as ambience. This lends a more office-like air to the whole thing.
47. Noise-cancelling headphones.Invest in these little wonders to help cut out home noises around you, like the humming of the fridge, water dripping from faucets, the whirring of the fan, etc.
48. Consider co-working. Quite an in-thing in these times, sharing space with someone like-minded can actually help you focus better during work and enliven your break times by having someone around.
49. Have a dedicated workspace. You need to clearly define a corner in a quiet room or a room itself as your workspace and treat it like an office cubicle; meaning it should be an area of no interruptions and dedicated to work. Close a door if you have one. It is perfectly alright.
50. Set a timer to finish work. This is to keep control over you and pull you away from distractions. With a timer ticking away you will constantly be reminded of your turn-around timing.
51. Stay in touch with office. If you have someone supervising over you, it works for most people to keep on their toes. A home setting kind of liberates you from that. This can lead to getting lax which is bad for productivity. It is a good idea to keep in touch with office and regularly update them on your status, in short keeping a channel of communication open.
52. Invest in home office. This is going to be your pad every day for the time being. Invest in ergonomic seating, good wiring, an updated computer and a reliable internet connection.
53. Arrange tech support. Glitches in your computer or connectivity can happen at times and you might not be tech-savvy enough to solve this yourself.
54. Equip yourself. Technical hassles can become a big distraction to people who are on their own working from home. Online help does not always solve your issues satisfactorily. Reading up and updating oneself goes a long way in building self-confidence and problem-solving.
55. Learn to fix things. A tangled knot of wires, a broken armrest, a loose contact of a headphone- all of these are irritants to smooth working. It is best to sort these minor issues on your own rather than depend on someone.
56. Debug your system. Online work requires you to be responsive to queries from office as well as handle work in volumes. Debugging your computer and peripherals ensures your system remains in top condition without slowing down.
57. Invest in a scanner. Mostly all online documents are sent these days in soft copy and having a scanner at home saves the trouble of having to go out and get it done.
58. Good seating arrangements. You will be spending long hours hunched over your laptop and having a comfortable chair that provides your back great support is a good investment. Constantly getting up or shifting position is a distraction to work.
59. Adequate lights. This is again to do with removing irritants from your workplace. Good lighting is a must since you will be looking at a screen all the time. Your eyes need this comfort.
60. Have a dedicated phone. A good move is to get a separate phone for work-related calls. You know you need to answer or respond when this one pings. No need to bother about spam calls or friends.
61. Back-up Internet connectivity. Do you have a fall-back option for the rare occasions your Internet fails you? The hassle of running around trying to keep uninterrupted work flow can affect your focus and productivity badly.
62. Standby power supply. Also for the same reason of work flow disruption, you must have back -up power supply so that your work is not affected.
63. Dedicated browser. A very effective method of cutting out distraction is to use a dedicated browser at work, eliminating tempting tabs and pop-ups.
64. Do cloud-based file sharing. This is to create reliable back-up as well as transfer files easily to and from work.
65. Toggl. Install this time-tracking program on your computer. Let this help keep track of the time you spend working if you find your focus wavering.
66. Automate. Use technology to set alarms, set different ringtones etc. in order to segregate home and work calls and notifications.
67. Backup. One cannot stress more on this. Arrange backup for your work, power supply, connectivity, and hardware, anything you need to get the job done.
68. Ask for help. There are things you cannot figure out yourself. Instead of getting all worked up and losing focus, ask for help and get sorted faster.
69. Tools for job. Have everything you need at an arm’s reach so that you do not have to run around looking for them.
70. Do Not Disturb feature. Get this on your phone, put a notice on your door, and just get the message across that you are not to be disturbed at certain hours.
71. Bright office space. Make your workspace attractive enough to work long hours and focus on the job.
72. Distraction blocker. There are tools like FocusMe, StayFocused and LeechBlock to help cut out distracting sites.
73. Get organized. One cannot stress on this more. You are delving into a new work experience which requires you to balance home and work. Unless you are meticulous in preparation and organization of work and responsibilities, it will not be easy.
Guests and Salesmen distractions
74. Put up a schedule for guests. You need to be strict about stating your non-availability to house guests when you are formally working. Else your office times will go for a toss tending to their needs.
75. Salesmen calling. Put up a notice on your door specifying timings so that you do not have to attend to unnecessary doorbells.
Self-goals
76. Fun breaks. Let your breaks not always be about chores but some fun too, like catching parts of a favourite show or jiving to some music. You will get back refreshed.
77. Real-time with colleagues. Getting to know your peers and interacting real-time helps greatly to bring back focus on work, giving new personal challenges.
78. End-goal in mind. Plan something big like a vacation or a house. This will give renewed push to focus on work.
79. Avoid decision fatigue. Work out your jobs, goals, in your mind so you already have a decision in mind. Prevent your mind from wandering.
80. Use flexibility well. Remote work equals flexibility but remember not to take liberties with this, keep your goals in mind.
81. Freedom with responsibilities. With freedom comes distraction, so take this feature with a lot of responsibility.
82. Power nap. Believe me this works. Totally bored with work, the couch beckons home workers. Instead of looking at websites take a quick nap with the alarm set. Wake up refreshed and carry on.
83. Pressure yourself. One never knows how far one can go unless pushed to limits. Discover your capabilities by willpower and resolve.
84. Prioritize. Too many conflicting jobs at a time vying for attention can be irritating. Clear your mind and prioritize, then go about ticking off items.
85. Do not procrastinate. Putting off work for later can spell trouble in a work-from-home scenario with no direct supervision.
86. Separate work and office. Very difficult to do this but you need to work hard on this aspect. Compartmentalization is a must to regain laser focus for the next day.
87. Human contact. Just go get real contact outside family and work. It helps improve perspective and concentration.
88. Monthly goals. Set goals on targets or incentives, whatever works for you to focus best. Knowing you are falling short of your personal target is a good pick-me-up.
89. Mini milestones. Set small goals for each hour, accomplish them, and move on. It helps to concentrate.
90. Find own productive period. Everybody has a different time or setting when they are at their productive best. Pinpoint yours and get maximum work done at that time.
91. Non-work schedule. Set a time-table for all non-work tasks and follow them so that the worry of non-completion does not distract you.
92. Specific times, specific tasks. The laundries, dinner, homework- assign slots for each task and try sticking to them. It will be easier to manage.
93. Don’t gaze out. Looking at people passing by is a good way to relieve boredom but too much of it can take your focus away.
94. Good sleep. End of the day see to it you get enough sleep; otherwise you might very well doze off at work.
95. Good hydration. Hydrate yourself well through the day. This is essential for good health.
96. Healthy lifestyle. Look after yourself well. Health issues cropping up due to sedentary lifestyles can cause unthinkable distractions.
98. Assign responsibilities. Divide home responsibilities to family members so that all pitch in.
99. Delegate work. You do not have superpowers. Delegate and engage the family in helping out.
100. Relax on weekends. Spend quality time with family, go out, and rejuvenate for the coming week.
Answering some questions arising as you work from home
Will workflow and cash flow be regular when working from home?
Check out credentials of the company you have chosen to work for. Go online and check out their social media presence and the feedback of present workers. Normally established companies are very good with their promises as far as workflow and timely payments are concerned. Networking with peers in your chosen industry to know the pros and cons of online work is a good way to stay in the loop as well as keeping yourself updated about realistic expectations and goals.
Will working from home affect relationships?
It has been seen that in spite of all preparations and prior counselling, family members have not taken very well to the fact that you will be at home but not available for long stretches of time. Children, parents, and spouse feel neglected and if there is not a concerted effort on both sides, conflicts might increase. There is also the element of being ‘taken for granted’ for home workers to deal with and counter.
Work from home is not easy; it comes with its own pitfalls. One needs to steer clear of these and manage time and self to be at the top of their productivity. It is up to you to work out the most optimal solutions in order to remain at the top of your game.