Working from home can be a blessing and a curse sometimes, as it is much easier to become distracted by your phone, TV, or household responsibilities. While you’re likely to always experience some kind of distraction when working from home, there are a few ways that you can minimize distractions and create a productive, focus-friendly environment.
If you’re struggling with working from your apartment and find yourself easily distracted, here are seven tips to help you focus and stay on track.
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1. Avoid Working in Your Bedroom: Your bedroom is a dedicated space to relax, unwind, and sleep. While it may be nice to work in your pajamas while in bed, doing so will only encourage you to do one of two things: sleep or get distracted by other things like the TV, social media, video games, and more. As you are programmed to be in a relaxed state when in your bedroom, you are likely to experience a lack of motivation instead of being productive and energized like you want (and need) to be. So, instead of working from your bedroom, establish a space in your apartment to work from exclusively. Doing so can help you separate your work from leisure, and help you stay on track with your work responsibilities and tasks.
2. Set Up a Dedicated Work Space: Since your work is strictly done at home, you have to designate a proper space to work from. Whether your apartment is spacious or on the small side, you can set aside a corner for your desk and computer specifically for your work to help create a separation between work and home. In this designated space, have the necessities, including a desk, a desktop computer or a laptop to work from, and lighting (like a lamp, overhead light, etc.) to set up your space. Then, personalize the space with inspirational artwork, pictures of your family and friends, stationery supplies, a calendar, and trinkets to make it your own and give it a more home-like feel.
3. Declutter Your Desk: Plenty of us are guilty of having a messy desk or office area in our home. Think about it, when you have clutter like papers, books, memos, etc. all over your desk and office space, do you really feel like working there? Having a messy workspace clutters your mind and distracts you from what you’re trying to accomplish. So, if you find that your desk space is cluttered with mail, paperwork, and even trash, reserve some time to declutter and clean up your space. Important paperwork should be filed away, old or insignificant mail should be tossed in the trash, and trash should, well, also be thrown away. Once you’re done getting rid of the physical clutter, grab your favorite multi-purpose spray or a wipe to clean off your desk, keyboard, mouse, or any surface that is in need of some TLC. It will undoubtedly freshen up your space and instantly make you feel better!
4. Enable App Limits on Your Phone: Apps are one of the biggest distractions to deal with when working from home, as most of us use our phones for social media, video streaming, or playing mobile games. To help keep your temptation to scroll on Instagram or watch Netflix at bay, set specific time limits on your phone. You can do this by going to the apps category in your phone settings, and from there you can set a time limit that works for you, whether it be five or 30 minutes.
5. Turn Off Push Notifications: Push notifications are another major distraction that can cause you to stray away from work and check your phone. If you find yourself distracted from push notifications from social media apps, personal emails, etc., simply disable push notifications for the app while you work and catch up on what you have missed after work hours.
6. Schedule Breaks Throughout the Day: Working from home, like any job, can be taxing on your mind. If you are feeling burnt out or run down in any way, it can not only affect your overall being, but it can also affect how well you fulfill your work tasks and responsibilities. When you can, schedule little breaks throughout the day to give your mind a quick reset. If five-minute breaks are all you can afford, take this time to walk outside for a minute or two to get some fresh air and feel the sun on your skin. If a 10 or 15-minute break is more manageable, take this time to make a snack, get a glass of water, and maybe watch a few minutes of your favorite show or YouTube channel. Breaking up work with a break can energize your brain and give you a boost of focus that you need to finish the day strong.
7. Listen to Music: I am a huge fan of playlists, as they can set the mood for anything you are looking to do. From a poolside gathering to tailgating at a football game, you can put together a list of songs for just about any vibe. For your work, put together a list of songs that can motivate, inspire, and help you to focus and work hard. I wouldn’t suggest any fist-bumping tracks or serious headbangers (unless that works for you, of course), but instead, music that will not distract you — the kind you can play softly in the background to keep you on track. Think lo-fi hip-hop beats, instrumental piano, acoustic guitar, smooth jazz, etc.
Distractions can make working from your apartment a challenge, but if you do your best to eliminate them when you can, you can create a productive work environment that will help you thrive.
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