How to stay focused while work from home
Many people dream of working from home, but remote jobs have both advantages and disadvantages. The great things are that you don’t have to travel to work, since you can work on your sofa using a laptop, and you don’t have to dress up! Because you're not late anywhere!
Moreover, you choose your own working hours and sleep longer if you’re tired. These benefits of working from home are really cool, but also risky and tricky. Being unsupervised and feeling like you have all the freedom and time you want, can lead to lower productivity. You can easily get distracted by some TV show, social media, playing with your pets, taking a nap or doing anything but working.
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There are more than 54 million freelancers and remote workers in the U.S. facing concentration and focusing problems while working from home. Whether you’re freelancer doing remote jobs or self-employed launching some business website, it’s important to stay focused and work productively. Those are the ways you can stay motivated and focused while working from home. No excuses to try them all!
Turn off social media
Well, this is pretty obvious. How can you stay focused while working from home if you’re constantly checking your Facebook or Instagram account? Social media are probably the biggest distraction when working remotely. There’s always something interesting to distract your attention from work.
Frequently looking at your phone leads to less productivity. Your thoughts will be attached to some funny status or image that you will instantly share with your friends on chat. If you want to stay focused, turn off social media and leave them for break time.
Dress for success
One of the coolest things about working from home is that you can work in your pajamas or your favorite old worn-out T-shirt. It’s nice to stay in those outfits while you’re working sometimes, ‘cause they’re surely very comfortable.
But it’s important to establish a morning routine and set a professional mindset if you want to stay focused. Working in pajama every day will make you feel lazy and not motivated for hard-working. So, when you get up, change your clothes, brush your teeth and set a professional mindset.
Schedule your own working hours
Another great benefit of working from home is that you’re able to choose the working hours. Working from home allows you increased time flexibility, but we are all individuals and not productive in the same hours. Some people are most focused during the night, some in the morning.
To stay focused while working from home, try to set your work hours. Think about which part of the day is when you’re the most productive. And don’t forget to include time off for lunch, and a quick break can help clear your head or little nap.
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Work somewhere else
Working from home means you can work from your king-sized bed, a sofa in the living room, from the kitchen while cooking, or even when taking a bath. But not everyone has the luxury of having an actual workspace at home.
If you are one of those, go work in some coffee shop or shared workspace. You can even work in some park, a library or at the bar. Even though it’s noisier and full of people, remote workers usually feel more productive and far more focused than at home.
Stretch out and do some yoga
Both working from home and workspace with colleagues bring a lot of stress. Plus, sitting 8 or more hours per day causes bad effects on our body. This is why it’s important to stretch out while working. Besides, activities like yoga can help you to reduce stress and provide a brain boost! Instead of drinking unhealthy drinks, a single yoga workout can get enough endorphins to deliver a natural burst of energy.
It’s not strange that many businessmen and employees with highly-stressed jobs are doing yoga. Many companies offer lunch-time yoga practices because it reduces employee’s stress. Even a short yoga practice helps to regulate the heart-rate variability (HRV). Your heart rate will be lower and your body will respond to stress more flexibly.
Besides yoga classes, you can buy stress-balls for your workspace. Stress-ball is the best corporate presents, great to show your employees how much you care about their health. You can find high-quality stress balls at a low price and release your employees from stress.
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Try the rule of 52 and 17
Breaks are an important part of being focused while working from home. Taking frequent breaks can help us to be motivated and improve productivity. Recent research has shown that there may be an ideal formula for when to take breaks and how long. Our rule is called 52 and 17 because it is said that the most productive people take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes. But it depends on personal preferences since some people like to work in shorter, 30-minute sprints and then take a 5-7-minute break.
Enjoy breaks!
When you decide the best time for mini-breaks including one lunch break, take that time to enjoy breaks. Don’t think of a job, try to be relaxed and clear your mind. You might think it’s more productive to chow down on your sandwich in front of your computer while working, but taking a proper lunch break is crucial filling your body and brain with energy and break. But lunch isn’t all we need during work. We need to stay hydrated all day, to stay focused, concentrated and energized. Water and tea, are the best for hydration. Besides, many scientists around the world claim that some kinds of tea, such as green tea, can strengthen memory cells in the brain. To stay hydrated all day, subscribe to our fall subscription box and get unique products for carrying tea.
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Socialize with other people
And the last but not the least important. One of the biggest complaints you hear from remote workers is that they feel isolated and depressed. Working from home means less socialization and hanging with other people. Even If you like it, being alone day in and day out for months and years can make you feel lonely, depressed and sad. Negative thoughts usually lead to not being concentrated and focused on work. Take some time to socialize with other people, take a friend out for coffee, or just strolling through the park to get some fresh air. You may not believe it, but communicating with others is honestly a huge part of thriving in a remote work situation.Luckily, there are many gadgets to keep us connected with friends while working from home. Subscribe to our subscription boxes and get the best gadgets.