Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas

Regardless of where you work, distractions are bound to sidetrack you. They can negatively affect productivity, and they must be mitigated if you want to improve time management.

When you work from home, you enjoy the benefit of creating and managing your work environment and, in some cases, even controlling your work schedule. It can be seemingly difficult to regain your focus once you are off track, but these are some tried-out tips that can boost your concentration.

Workplace Environment

Being so fortunate to work remotely, you have almost complete control over lighting, air temperature, noise level and more in your environment. You can easily re-decorate your home office, so that it inspires focus and decreases distractions.

– Remove any items on your desk that distract you, such as your smartphone, as well as items that are not used for work purposes.
– Ensure that you have enough workspace for your laptop, files and necessary supplies.
– Store hard drives, USB drives, chargers, and papers in a desk drawer or in a file cabinet.
– Use a folded sticky label to name the device that each of your cords is attached to, and hide your cords behind your desk.
– Focus on the aesthetics of your space. Consider painting the walls a lovely shade of yellow, blue or green. These colors are ideal for promoting focus and energy.
– Use the HVAC system windows and fan to control the temperature.
– Invest in a desk lamp if natural lighting is not adequate for your work needs.

As a final step, make an effort to spend the last few minutes of each work day to clean and organize your space. This will give you a fresh start the next morning.

Food for the Brain

Food can work for or against you when you have a home office. For example, if you load up on junk food throughout the day, your focus and energy levels will have sharp spikes and drop.

You also may notice that you get hungry more quickly and are constantly taking breaks to run to the fridge for another sugary snack.

On the other hand, if you eat healthy meals that are rich in fruits, veggies and protein, your blood sugar level will drop. This will help you to focus more evenly throughout the day.

When you go grocery shopping, be conscious about the types of foods that you buy. After all, if you have junk food in the house, you will most likely eat it. It can take time to physically adjust to eating healthier foods. However, you will notice that your energy level, mood and overall physical health improve when you regularly make healthy food choices.

The Candle Gaze or Trataka Technique

You are bound to feel stressed and frazzled when you work with difficult clients or co-workers, have tough deadlines pending and more. Stress can make it more difficult to focus on the tasks in front of you, but the good news is that a home office is ideal for meditation.

There are many meditation techniques and yoga poses you can try, perhaps while listening to some tranquil music. One meditation technique you may find particularly helpful is the candle gaze or Trataka technique.

You will need to light a candle and place it at eye level approximately three to four feet in front of you. Ideally, you will be seated comfortably with your arms and shoulders relaxed.

Without blinking and while sitting perfectly still, stare at the flame until your eyes begin to water. When this happens, close your eyes. You should be able to see the flame in your mind in a location equidistant between your eyebrows. The more clearly you can concentrate on the flame with your eyes open, the clearer the image will be in your mind.

Housework

Housework, such as loading the dishwasher or folding a load of clothes, can work for or against you when you work from home.

It is easy to lose focus and begin to tackle all of the chores that need to be done around the house. Before you realize it, you may find that you have wasted an hour or more cleaning your space.

However, you shouldn’t sit down and work for too long either. Take strategic, planned breaks. For example, make plans to fold a load of laundry in one hour, and take a second break in two hours to do the dishes.

If you find yourself troubled by a problem or issue, you can do some chores as a short mental break. You may find that redirecting your attention away from the problems helps you to find a solution for it more easily.

For example, you may need to think up creative ideas for a project, but you cannot come up with any ideas that you like. By walking around the house and doing chores for a few minutes, one or more ideas may come to mind.

Apart from having a mental time-out, doing a few chores can help you to get your blood pumping and regain focus. However, avoid using chores as an excuse to procrastinate on your work. For example, if you need to make an important phone call, make the call before you take a break.

One Goal at a Time

Some remote workers find it difficult to manage their time. They may see that they have a lengthy list of to-do items that require attention, and they may feel as though everything needs to be done at once so that they are productive.

On the other hand, some people work at a slower pace, because they do not feel the pressure that is associated with a traditional office environment.
A smart idea is to make a to-do list for yourself each day. Prioritize this list, and tackle one item at a time. You may even plan your snack, lunch or chore breaks in between these goals.

For example, you may not take a morning coffee break until you have reviewed two files and made three important phone calls. This strategy can help you to stay motivated and focused throughout the day, because you see your workload in smaller and more manageable segments.

1, 2, 3 – Work!

Everything from the lighting in your home office to the foods you eat can cause you to lose focus when you work from home. By being more aware of the factors that pull your attention away from work activities, you can take proper steps to mitigate them and to improve productivity.