Staying focused while working from home.

DediRock

DediRock

Member
Staying focused can be difficult in a home environment.
I am interested to know what best practices you use to minimize distractions and maintain productivity while working from home.
 
We've got a hybrid model. I find personally when working from home, having music in the background or with headphones helps a lot with interval breaks to keep focused and not get keyboard fatigued.
 
Working from home is terrible. Not that I have to deal with two toddlers running around screaming and bugging me, but it's generally too much distraction: food in the fridge, YouTube-like environment, errands, Amazon deliveries, etc. Having the office to come to certainly helps focus. Or coworking spots, or libraries (those are great if you have no calls on the agenda).

However, if I find myself working from home, I utilize two simple strategies:

— frequently change my work spot 👨‍💻
— listening to music in headphones to isolate myself from any noise (DJ sets for me as those mostly have no lyrics to distract on) 🎧
— coffee ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
 
Oh this can be difficult.
- Isolate yourself from the day-to-day things of your home, animal, and front door, basically get a home office area. (Also earphones like everybody said)

- Monitor what you do, write a mini list... for the next 90 min I need to do x,y and z, after the 90 min take a break and make a new list including the things you couldn't get finished. When you monitor your time you will be surprised at how much you waste and how much you can get done.

- Start early or late. In my case I get up at 4 - 5am there is nobody awake it is super quiet till 8 - 9am. This gives me 4 solid hours. I usually use this time to do work that requires a lot of attention by 9 am I switch to work that is easier, repetitive, or admin stuff until about 2 pm. 2- 3 pm I'm done, il take a nap for 30 min or so, and then whatever I do next is up to me.

Usually, I do some exercise for about 60 -90 minutes just to get the blood going and the alertness back up. For the rest of the day I kinda just coast around, sometimes il find myself getting back into work things... this is part of being a business owner.


-
 
I have worked from home for a good few years now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. My office wasn't too far away with a 30 minute commute one way, but it's giving me a extra hour of personal life time 5 days a week. I also find that I achieve more by working from home, I found myself having general chit-chat with people in the office which wasted so much time and now I don't have that distraction.

It's still good to meet up with people you work with every so often though, I believe building relationships with people you work with allows for better collaboration. You can understand their personality and how others work by knowing them in person. There's only so much general chat you can have over Teams, Slack, or whatever.

I don't really have any tips for working from home, I just prefer it and I'm generally a very focused guy. Music is a big part though, I find myself listening to music for the majority of the working day.
 
That sounds like a great approach! Music can definitely help with focus and breaks. Do you have any favorite playlists or genres that you find most effective?
mxnhost said:
We've got a hybrid model. I find personally when working from home, having music in the background or with headphones helps a lot with interval breaks to keep focused and not get keyboard fatigued.
Click to expand...
 
Artashes said:
Working from home is terrible. Not that I have to deal with two toddlers running around screaming and bugging me, but it's generally too much distraction: food in the fridge, YouTube-like environment, errands, Amazon deliveries, etc. Having the office to come to certainly helps focus. Or coworking spots, or libraries (those are great if you have no calls on the agenda).

However, if I find myself working from home, I utilize two simple strategies:

— frequently change my work spot 👨‍💻
— listening to music in headphones to isolate myself from any noise (DJ sets for me as those mostly have no lyrics to distract on) 🎧
— coffee ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
Click to expand...
Working from home can definitely have its challenges, especially with distractions.

Great strategies!
Though I have never tried switching up where I work, definitely, DJ sets are a solid choice for background music.
Coffee is always a good boost too—just don’t overdo it! ☕🎧
Thanks!
 
PeterShene said:
Oh this can be difficult.
- Isolate yourself from the day-to-day things of your home, animal, and front door, basically get a home office area. (Also earphones like everybody said)

- Monitor what you do, write a mini list... for the next 90 min I need to do x,y and z, after the 90 min take a break and make a new list including the things you couldn't get finished. When you monitor your time you will be surprised at how much you waste and how much you can get done.

- Start early or late. In my case I get up at 4 - 5am there is nobody awake it is super quiet till 8 - 9am. This gives me 4 solid hours. I usually use this time to do work that requires a lot of attention by 9 am I switch to work that is easier, repetitive, or admin stuff until about 2 pm. 2- 3 pm I'm done, il take a nap for 30 min or so, and then whatever I do next is up to me.

Usually, I do some exercise for about 60 -90 minutes just to get the blood going and the alertness back up. For the rest of the day I kinda just coast around, sometimes il find myself getting back into work things... this is part of being a business owner.


-
Click to expand...
Those are excellent tips for staying productive!
Setting up a dedicated workspace, monitoring tasks, and adjusting your schedule to fit quiet times can make a big difference. Incorporating exercise is a great idea too—it helps with both focus and energy.
Thanks!
 
SharedGrid said:
I have worked from home for a good few years now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. My office wasn't too far away with a 30 minute commute one way, but it's giving me a extra hour of personal life time 5 days a week. I also find that I achieve more by working from home, I found myself having general chit-chat with people in the office which wasted so much time and now I don't have that distraction.

It's still good to meet up with people you work with every so often though, I believe building relationships with people you work with allows for better collaboration. You can understand their personality and how others work by knowing them in person. There's only so much general chat you can have over Teams, Slack, or whatever.

I don't really have any tips for working from home, I just prefer it and I'm generally a very focused guy. Music is a big part though, I find myself listening to music for the majority of the working day.
Click to expand...
Hey SharedGrid, that’s great to hear that working from home has worked so well for you!
I agree that occasional in-person meetups can strengthen relationships and improve collaboration.
Actually, music is also a key part of my routine, it really helps maintain focus throughout the day.
I appreciate your input! You've given me some great perspectives to think about.
 
I'll chime in here. Been reading a lot of books about reducing distractions while working. This week I removed my secondary monitor from my desk. I'm a Mac guy, so I removed a lot of icons from my Dock, disabled notifications (I've always been selective anyway) and I try to keep my windows to fit the full screen, so that I'm less distracted by what's going on around me.

Thanks for sharing everybody, it's great to hear from others!
 
OnTheCloud.co said:
I'll chime in here. Been reading a lot of books about reducing distractions while working. This week I removed my secondary monitor from my desk. I'm a Mac guy, so I removed a lot of icons from my Dock, disabled notifications (I've always been selective anyway) and I try to keep my windows to fit the full screen, so that I'm less distracted by what's going on around me.

Thanks for sharing everybody, it's great to hear from others!
Click to expand...
I agree! These techniques streamline your work environment and help you stay more productive. Thanks for sharing!
 
I find it easier to focus at home rather than the office. I work hybrid and when I'm in the office my thoughts are 50% on what I am going to eat and how much I will have to pay for it, and the other 50% is listening to other people's meetings, complaints, comments, fighting over the thermostat... And at home I have my own work room, only my PC and work laptop there, I listen to music, and turn off all notifications on phones so I don't get distracted by people messaging me privately. I eat as soon as possible so I'm not distracted by hunger either and I prepare lots of snacks/fruits to eat while working if I get fidgety. I get so much more done when I'm at home...
 
Hostmaster-Nick said:
I'm in the office my thoughts are 50% on what I am going to eat and how much I will have to pay for it
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I never realised how much I spent on food while working in an office until 2020 hit us. I had so much more money leftover at the end of the month.
 
SharedGrid said:
I never realised how much I spent on food while working in an office until 2020 hit us. I had so much more money leftover at the end of the month.
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It gets so expensive, and not healthy or even that tasty. I don't have a lot of choice around my office so it's either McDonalds, which is sadly the cheapest option, or something expensive. At home I'm always snacking something that I already have stocked, so I don't spend much money; I'm also not hungry - nor hangry - and it's healthier. It's such an important thing and not many people seem to really care about it, unfortunately.
 
@Hostmaster-Nick and @SharedGrid - I'm curious, do you have an office just for your hosting businesses or do you have a different primary job?

Since my last post from last year, I ended up moving houses and getting a private office just a mile from home. It's the perfect balance because I have no distractions and I can still head home to eat lunch with my family.
 
OnTheCloud.co said:
@Hostmaster-Nick and @SharedGrid - I'm curious, do you have an office just for your hosting businesses or do you have a different primary job?

Since my last post from last year, I ended up moving houses and getting a private office just a mile from home. It's the perfect balance because I have no distractions and I can still head home to eat lunch with my family.
Click to expand...

I have a small office I rent with a couple of desks and a meeting desk, but it rarely gets used. WFH is the primary, but at least in the UK, I am seeing more and more businesses moving to office full time again or a compulsory hybrid approach.

I have a small room in my house designated as my office.
 
SharedGrid said:
I have a small office I rent with a couple of desks and a meeting desk, but it rarely gets used. WFH is the primary, but at least in the UK, I am seeing more and more businesses moving to office full time again or a compulsory hybrid approach.

I have a small room in my house designated as my office.
Click to expand...
For the hosting business it's purely WFH, but yes it's a side job that is hybrid. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses are pushing the return to the office, maybe they just don't want to have their office spaces wasted? Or just want the option to micromanage more easily when everyone looks over your shoulder while working. Hybrid is fine for the occasional team discussion, but other than that, it's a waste of time, especially with commute and all the extra expenses. It's good as an option, if some people prefer going to the office, I understand that too, but for some, WFH is a dream come true.
 
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