8 Ways to Stay Focused While Working from Home

With the outbreak of coronavirus, more and more companies are opting for their employees to work from home. Some of us have never had the opportunity to work from home before and find it foreign and hard to focus. Some of us just aren’t as motivated to work when we are at home because our kids are begging us to play or you finally have “time” to clean your house. Whatever the reason, it is still important to focus while working from home so that you don’t lose your job. Here are some ideas to help you stay focused during these hard times:

1. Establish a routine

Even though it is tempting to stay in your pajamas all day and work in bed, it is important to go about the day the same way you would if you were going in to work. Get up to start work at your normal hours. Get ready for the day. Take a lunch break, and stop working when it is time to “go home.” Having a routine will help you stay focused and will help you achieve your goals.

2. Work hard 

Need motivation to work hard because your boss isn’t there watching you? First of all, grow up. You should work hard because you need to and want to take care of yourself or your family. And also, if you’re using a computer from work, there are technologies that can track how you use it. So your boss might be watching . . . Being accountable and honest is good for the soul anyways.

3. Listen to music 

You might not be able to blast music at work, but at home you can do it if it helps you stay focused. Play your favorite songs and sing along. Or, if you’re like me and can’t focus on work while there are lyrics involved, play some classical music to get your brain juices flowing.

4. Create an at-home office 

Set a place aside in your house for an at-home office. Don’t work from your bed, even though you might be tempted to. Minimize distractions like social media, TV, or your cute kids. Having this space while you work from home will help keep you focused and will help your family know that when you’re at your new at-home office, you’re not to be bothered.

5. Take breaks 

Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean your brain doesn’t need breaks. Every few hours take a break to exercise. Use the Chirp Wheel+ to roll out next to your at-home office. Rolling out on the wheel will get blood flowing to your brain and help you focus again when it’s time to go back to work. Also remember that you do chat with your coworkers at work sometimes as a release, so use one of your breaks to FaceTime them and catch up.

6. Don’t use social media

Unless social media is part of your job or you are taking one of your breaks for the day, don’t waste time on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media sites. If you love getting on social media that much, use it as a reward for when you are done with your work at the end of the day. Having something to look forward to can help you work that much harder.

7. Clean the house after work

If you are a little OCD and can’t work in a messy house, try to resist the urge to clean your house during work hours. Instead, use your time after work each night to get the house clean so you have a fresh start each morning.

8. Set goals and give rewards

 Start each day by setting goals for what you want to accomplish. At the end of the day, be accountable for those goals and plan for the next day. If you accomplished your goals for the day, reward yourself in some way that is meaningful to you. Eat that brownie you’ve been wanting or buy that new thing you’ve been eyeing. Or just simply stop working when the day is done instead of working overtime.