Over the last year on maternity leave I have experienced working from home a lot more. The blog has started to earn me a little and this has meant I have had to crack on with it, during the day as well as during the evening time.
People often think working from home is the easy option. No commute, no rigid schedule. I mean, you don’t even have to get dressed if you don’t want to!
This is true in some senses. I have literally just had a shower now and come back to this post. But working from home requires a real strong sense of discipline to keep focused. It is so easy to be distracted with something in the house. This isn’t the same when working from an office.
So what are my tips to try and stop the distractions?
– Have a dedicated working area. Having the correct furniture at work is so important. It gets you in the mood to sit down and focus. You need to be comfortable and ready to work.
– Another great way to avoid distractions is by maintaining a professional look. You can prepare your workspace with lotion, eye drops, and the right computer glasses. Additionally, fill your pencil holder with pencils, pens, and scissors so that you feel professional.
– Unless you need your phone for any calls for work or emergencies, move it away. Even put it in another room! It is so easy to be distracted with a chat on Whatsapp or scroll through Instagram. This wastes so many odd 5 minutes.
– Plan, plan and plan. Have a list of what you want to get done that day or during your work session and stick to it only. It’s easy to think, “ooh I’ll just look at this and start this…” Don’t. It wastes time and isn’t productive.
– Close down all social media on your computer. Facebook, twitter and even emails if you can. It is really easy to get sucked in for a while and take you away from the tasks in hand.
– Have dedicated breaks. If you know you need to do a load of washing, work for half an hour and take 5-10 minutes off to do a quick job. Similarly, if you feel your productivity is waning, have a break. You are likely to come back refreshed and ready to go after a quick cuppa or potter around the house. It may be worth even going for a walk and getting a bit of fresh air before starting up again.
– Make sure you keep hydrated and eat healthy snacks to keep your brain functioning. Fruit and nuts are good options.
I actually quite enjoy working from home, especially when the kids aren’t around. Now that would be another blog post in itself!
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.