9 Ways To Stay Focused And Productive While Working From Home
- Jess
- Apr 2, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: May 10
So you’ve decided that you want to either work from home full-time or for a part-time side gig, but you find yourself struggling with distractions.
Whether it’s that funny cat video your best friend just sent you over TikTok or the newest Netflix show that you unintentionally turned into a binge-watch session, staying focused can be a challenge.
Trust me, you’re not alone, I’ve been there.
Despite our best efforts to focus, working from home carries a lot of different temptations, some can even include pulling ourselves in too many different directions to micromanage too much and effectively doing very little work in the process.
Since I decided to be self-employed I’ve had to develop techniques and tactics to not only help me stay focused but get the results that my clients want while also building up my own business as well.
I’m going to share all of my tips and secrets in this article.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
1. Maintain a Daily Planner With a Checklist
This is the most important item to have. What I realized is that it doesn’t matter how many or few hours you work, all that matters is results and completing tasks.
I keep a daily planner checklist and track all the tasks I need to complete for myself and my clients each day. As long as I complete those tasks before the day is over, it takes time out of the equation and gives me less stress.
Let’s say my client needs 4 articles written each week for a flat rate. They aren’t concerned with how many hours I put into the work, they just want to make sure the articles are completed on time.
If I cram those four articles into 2 days or spread out working on them over 5 days, my client gets the same results, but the difference for me is being able to allocate how to accomplish the task, set work milestones for myself, and check it off at the end of the day.
2. Have a Morning and Nighttime Routine
This is the second most important step and not having a morning and nighttime routine can ruin your entire work day.
My morning routine takes place when I wake up at 8:30 AM (I am not a super early riser). I only allow 1 and a half hours total time to complete my routine, the goal is to start working around 9:30 AM and no later than 10:00 AM. If I have an early meeting then I will wake up earlier at 6:30 AM or 7:30 AM to be able to still have the time to do my routine.
Despite what Starbucks drinking influencer gurus say, you don’t need to wake up at the crack of dawn to be productive, you just need a structured routine to follow when you do wake up.
Morning routine:
Drink a full bottle of water
Make the bed
Stretch
Take care of personal hygiene (shower/skincare/brush teeth)
Take care of my cats needs (food/water/litter)
Putting clothes in the wash
Tidying up the house
Making a protein shake or quick breakfast
Take my supplements
Check my daily planner
Begin work
Then I can fully focus my mind on work because all the chores were done, I’m hydrated, I’m clean and I’m fed. If all the things you’d have to do are crammed into the morning and done, then you can spend all noon and afternoon focused on work easier.
My nighttime routine is much simpler and what I do before bed no matter what time I end up going to bed.
My nighttime routine:
Personal hygiene(skincare/brush teeth/floss)
Take care of my cats’ needs (litter box)
Check off items in the daily planner (add new items if needed)
The nighttime routine ending with your daily planner is so important, because when we’re in our bed our mind races thinking of all the things we need to do the next day. if you write them down before you go to bed, your mind doesn’t go through that process and you can focus on sleeping. Good sleep is vital for having a productive work day the morning after.
Photo by Barrett Baker on Unsplash
3. Take a Break After Every Hour
So, this is something I didn’t expect, I work better if I allow a small break after each hour of work. It allows my energy levels to rise back up, my focus becomes sharper and I return back to work motivated.
We’re not meant to sit staring at the same task like a drone for hours on end. Your brain needs other forms of stimulation so don’t deny your brain what it needs.
Take a break, walk, look at your window at the sun, make tea, get water, do light exercise, take a shower if you want to, and then go back to work refreshed.
Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash
4. Watch a Show During a Lunch Break
Look, you’re at home, it’s okay to check your social media or watch that show, but you need to have a time set aside and allocated for it.
No matter how tempting it might be to keep checking your phone or videos while at your computer focus on your work, and discipline yourself to save fun things as rewards during your breaks.
Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash
5. Listen to Motivating Music or Podcasts
There is such a thing as productive distractions. Some people work better when they can listen to music or people talk. I find podcasts are a great way to keep focused on your work and be entertained. Motivational podcasts or advice on how to work better can be extremely helpful.
As for work-hours music, I prefer to listen to wordless music that has motivational fast beats that make me feel like a superhero(shh don’t tell this secret, but I listen to the Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack song “Guggenheim Assemble” on repeat). Other times I’ll listen to binaural beats or lo-fi study music.
Photo by Elena Leya on Unsplash
6. Avoid Sugary and Heavy Foods During Work Hours
That’s right, I know you’re at home and those boxes of 2-for-1 muffins you bought from Costco are looking so tempting, but resist it like the plague. Carbs are converted to sugar in the body, and anything with sugar raises your glycemic index. While it might feel and taste good in the moment, it’s going to cause you to feel more lethargic, unfocused, and tired as your body digests the sugar.
Save the sweet foods and carbs for after your work is done. That’s the best way to have your cake and eat it to.
Photo by Mikey Harris on Unsplash
7. Have a Designated Workspace (that isn’t your kitchen table)
You don’t just need a designated work space, you need the right kind of space. If you don’t have an office or spare room, then get a room divider and create a work corner in your living room or bedroom.
The main thing is to create a workspace that blocks out all distractions. If you can see the rest of the house, your mind may wander and you might get sidetracked by noticing things that need to be done, like cleaning those free-roaming dust bunnies
off the coffee table or if you’re in the kitchen you’ll want to cook that pack of chicken that’s been sitting in the fridge for the past three days.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
8. If Your Mind Drifts Off Task Have Notes to Reign You Back
Most people put up post-it notes with positive affirmations. I don’t do this, I put up notes that say “Hey! Get back to work!”, and “Your mind is drifting again, focus on work!”.
Basically, you need to kick your own butt when you go off-task.
Photo by Thom Holmes on Unsplash
9. Avoid Talking to Friends and Family During Work Hours
You need to treat working from home like you’ve gone into the office. Of course, if you have small children, their needs come first. It might require changing your work hours to work around their nap times.
If you have no small children, then avoid talking to friends and family during work hours. Save communication for the breaks (remember you’re taking a break each hour) and set a timer to limit the interactions just as if you were physically at your job.
Also, let friends and family know to avoid sharing any tea/gossip/drama with you until your workday is over.
Yes, I know it can be tempting to stay in a long conversation with your friend Geena who absolutely must fill you in on how wild and crazy your ex-boyfriend from high school years ago has become. And the classic story of your nephew shoving a penny up his nose? Hilarious! But let’s save it for after work, okay?
Keep in mind, that people will take advantage of you working from home and assume you have all the time in the world because you’re at home. They don’t know that self-employed people work more than those who are employed and it’s hard to control when to stop working(sometimes I work until I fall asleep).
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My Final Thoughts
Despite all the tips, tricks, and methods I’ve seen or read over the years, I ultimately discovered that I had to go through personal self-discovery to find out what worked specifically for me.
The usual advice of “dress for success”, “stay active”, and “meditate” didn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great suggestions, but they didn’t help me stay focused and motivated to work.
So, feel free to take liberties, because all that matters isn’t what you do so much as the results you get. If wearing your fluffiest cat onesie while working from home makes you feel relaxed and productive(calling myself out here), then go for it!
As I’ve aged in life, I’ve really had to change my view of what being a self-employed-solo-preneur is versus the usual image and lifestyle portrayed online and by social media.
It can be whatever you want it to be, as long as you are good at what you do, and produce valuable work or skills for others.
That’s just my two cents on the matter.
Until next time,
-Jess
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