how to stay focused while working remotely from home – 16 simple ideas

Working from home is slowly becoming the new normal. Today we are going to discuss how to stay focused while working remotely from home. Whatever you call it, firing up your laptop to get things done on the couch, dining table, or home office is the new normal. Although it sounds like a homebody’s dream – standing dates in sweatpants, huh? – Creating your own schedules is not always easy. Whether you’re self-employed building a small business website or a former office worker transitioning to working from home, you want to avoid doing laundry or taking the dog for a long walk or going into a Netflix void.
It’s easy to get sidetracked when no one is looking over your shoulder.

how to stay focused while working remotely at home

Without the watchful eye of a supervisor or clear expectations of your time, you often find yourself aimless and easily distracted. Laundry, snacks, and reality TV will grab your attention and drain your energy if you don’t pay attention to them. While it’s okay to have the occasional cheat day, it’s not okay to let it build up over time. That’s why a work schedule—and sticking to it—is crucial.

1. have Your own workplace

Whether you have a large home office or a kitchen corner, it is important to have your own office. Even city dwellers with limited space should find a place that is only intended for work.

Your own workspace is the most important element. It’s easy to sit on the couch with your laptop, but your posture and ergonomics aren’t right, and it’s often close to the TV, which is obviously distracting.

Just as your bed should be reserved for sleeping, your workplace should be reserved for working.

2. Stay away from social media

Is there a more attractive rabbit coin than social media? Scrolling quickly on Instagram can become a huge waste of time, but there are ways to avoid the temptation. Facebook and Twitter can be a great distraction when you work from home.

Avoid these distractions by limiting the time you can spend on them.

3. Dress for Success

Even if you don’t need a three-piece suit or a pencil skirt and high heels, this is a fun way to get dressed in the morning without leaving the house. It’s all part of the business mindset and daily ritual. We are habits and good habits are important.
Sitting in your pajamas sure is fun, but can you really look professional in your pajamas?

It doesn’t matter what you look like. it’s about developing a professional mindset. Use what works for you.

But the morning routine—that is, brushing your teeth and getting into your pajamas—is important, even if it’s just changing into yoga pants.

4. Set boundaries

A common misconception is that remote work means you don’t work as much. When your friend invites you to an afternoon movie break or a long lunch, it can be hard to understand that you have to use your hours too.

Most people won’t notice you work from home unless you tell them.
By saying when you are available, instead of waiting for people to tell you when they can meet, you are in the driver’s seat of your time. Working from home is not a disadvantage, so don’t make excuses for it.

You are available when you are available, whether you are in the office or not. Remember that you have to train people to handle you and your working hours.

5. Avoid procrastinating

If you’re tempted to procrastinate at the office, it’s even worse at home, where there are more distractions. It’s easy to put things off until a later day or first thing tomorrow morning because you’re not tied to work hours.

However, this creates stress, because you can easily meet the deadline, and if something unexpected happens – for example, the Internet goes down, you get sick, or a family member gets sick – you can miss the deadline, which can have serious consequences. for your business.

6. Save tasks for later

It’s tempting to run the dishwasher or take a break to vacuum, but it can disrupt your flow and focus. As with anything else, set aside a certain amount of time each day to do this – don’t accidentally mix it into your routine if you’re a very nice person.

7. Create a schedule

Your calendar should work as you do. That means if you are type A and want every minute planned, fill your day and even your breaks. If you’re more of a to-do list person, write a game plan and leave things out. If you prefer to go with the flow, you won’t need to plan too much, but you will have an idea of ​​what you want to do each day to make sure you complete your tasks. Whatever your style, make sure your schedule reflects your natural energy.
Why do you schedule negotiation calls at the end of the day when you are trying to close projects? If you feel creative in the morning, set aside time for brainstorming and critical tasks.

If your job requires hours of focused time, schedule meetings before lunch and use that important meal to complete your projects and tasks.

By consistently blocking off this time, you teach others to respect your time and productivity—and they will notice and appreciate the results.

8. Take a break from the gym

Scheduling a sweat session during the work day is a good idea if you plan it right. Your physical health is more at risk when you work from home than you think.

Even those who sit in an office cubicle tend to walk miles during the day, to the car, to lunch, etc.
Signing up for specific exercise classes makes it much easier to meet your schedule because the classes start at a specific time. It’s much harder to delay or force it, as opposed to casually hitting the treadmill at the gym.

Plus, the exercise break makes the brain come alive. Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee, exercise can get the endorphins flowing and provide a natural burst of energy.

9. Automate as much as possible

Technology is a great management assistant.

Schedule notifications for important tasks and meetings, create email rules to filter out unnecessary messages during business hours, use software to find errors in code or content, set up automatic billing for clients, schedule emails and social media posts and different ringtones for different people so that you know when you shouldn’t answer the phone.

10. Find your focus area

Find a place where you are more focused and productive at work. It can be from your kitchen table or a desk in your home office. Organize your workspace as soon as you move in – a clean workspace helps you focus and feel structured.

Working at home saves a lot of time because you never have to prepare, travel or go out for coffee or lunch because they are always at hand and no one interrupts you.

11. Knowing when to take rest

The most common mistake is to think that working from home leaves more time for work and a better work-life balance. Work is work, no matter where you do it or how much you love it. It must be done. And you also need a personal life.

If there is no physical barrier between the two, such as the geographic distance between the office and home, it can be easy to work long hours with less downtime for family and friends.
It can be tempting to squeeze in something after dinner or on a Sunday afternoon, but if you feel like you’re working all the time, it can quickly lead to burnout.

Therefore, you need to keep your set hours and maximize your work day so that you can enjoy your free time and feel refreshed and ready to come back on Monday morning.

Creating a ritual that separates your workday from your free time can be an important difference between the two.

12. Connecting with People face to face

It’s natural to miss the typical workplace watering hole. Working alone at home can feel lonely. Make sure you schedule social time throughout the day.

Connecting with at least one to three people a day can help you feel connected in an otherwise isolated environment.

13. Enjoy breaks

Deciding on a break and how long it should last can be difficult. Taking too much can make you feel off track, but too little can be harmful as you can be exhausted halfway through the day.

One that everyone should take? Lunch break. You might think it’s more productive to eat a sandwich in front of the computer and get more work done, but a proper lunch break, especially if you work from home, is very important.
It’s not just about getting enough food – your brain needs rest too.

And studies have shown that if you are more mindful during meals, you enjoy them more and are more satisfied. Sometimes working from home can be too convenient.

A few hours of computer work can easily seem like a few minutes. It is not healthy. Breaks are important for stretching and circulation.
It’s best to find what works for you and plan your breaks accordingly, but find a balance and give yourself a break when you need it. Sometimes you have to give in to your distractions.

If you start daydreaming and keep coming back to work, or if your kids want your attention and you keep sending them away, it’s time to take a break.

Dream a little—it can spark creativity—and pay attention to your kids. Don’t fight.
In almost all cases, you can save a few minutes for better focus. Breaks are also useful when you’re stuck with a problem, such as code that isn’t working properly, data that doesn’t seem to make sense, or writing content that just doesn’t flow.

Get up, drink some fluids, eat a snack, play a quick game and think about something else for a few minutes. When you return to your desktop, you may see something you haven’t seen before.

14. Join your colleagues often via communication

Even those who work alone at home sometimes have a team and it is important to communicate with them as much as possible. It is important to be as communicative with them as if you were physically working together in an office.

Keep reviewing what you are working on and what you have accomplished. Without seeing you in person, it’s easy to give others the impression that you’re not doing much, when in reality you’re probably more organized and productive than ever.

Give them transparency into your new great work life.

15. Get the right tools for the job

No matter how organized your day is or how comfortable your home office is, nothing can make you more productive than the right tools. Just as the right desktop and fast Wi-Fi make work run smoothly, so does choosing the right hosting package when managing your website from home.

16. Long Term Plan

Checking off items on your to-do list is an important part of working from home, but you also need to think about the big picture. When you work alone and from home, it’s easy to get stuck in a routine, but you should always keep the overall business plan in mind.

You need to know what your ultimate goal is in order to create a plan to achieve those goals.
Ideas are great, but without actionable steps you’re just spinning your wheels and going nowhere. Once you have an action plan, share your annual, quarterly, weekly and daily goals.

By breaking down your tasks into actionable steps and small parts, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and more motivated. Sufficient motivation task = productivity.

Conclusion

You just cannot become good on how to stay focused while working remotely from home without a clear plan of action and how to implement it. Working from home combines the business and personal aspects of life under one roof. That’s why it’s easy to get distracted from business tasks until you can separate business and personal matters. If you’ve never done it before, it takes time to get serious about working from home. Working at home is an exercise in self-learning. It’s a mindset, so there are no hard and fast rules for success.