5 tips to avoid distractions when working from home
Working from home can be great for many reasons: wearing comfy clothes, having endless cups of tea, and playing That’s What I Call Disney at full blast without judgement. However, it can also come with a few distractions.
Despite the fact that working remotely can encourage productivity for some people, it has its own challenges, in the form of potentially encouraging more procrastination than would be possible in an office environment. For example, staring at a wall for 20 minutes can occasionally be tempting.
Together with the experts at SaaSgenius.com we have devised five sure-fire ways to help avoid distractions while working from home – to keep even the most dedicated procrastinator focused.
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Invest in noise-cancelling headphones
Offices and homes alike can come filled with strange and distracting noises, from building sites nearby, to rowdy neighbours, to insufferable playlists.
In order to block these out, noise-cancelling headphones could be the answer, allowing you to drift into a world of your own and truly focus on your work.
As well as this, you can wave goodbye to clashing Zoom meetings with remote working flatmates, as the headphones block out background noise in general.
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Set designated breaks
Working from home for years may have convinced some people that they have superhuman concentration skills, when that is actually far from the truth. Due to this, it may be tempting to put the television on while you work as background noise.
However, this could lead to your productivity beginning to wane – especially if you’re watching The Walking Dead.
If you have a TV show you are keen to catch up on, try to set a designated break time to watch it, giving you something to look forward to as you work.
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Get dressed each day
While staying in pyjamas all day can be brilliant, it is not usually conducive to productivity at work. Because of this, it could be beneficial to get dressed each day, as you would if you were going to the office.
This could include doing your makeup and having a shower, encouraging the work day to feel more professional.
As well as this, being dressed could encourage you to go for a brisk walk on your lunch break or once you have finished work, pushing you to get some fresh air and get out of the house.
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Hide your phone or put it on ‘do not disturb’
Mobile phones can be the ultimate downfall for even the most productive of people – with one ‘ping’ of a notification sucking us back into scrolling for what feels like hours.
One of the best ways to avoid this distraction is to put your phone in another room during your working hours.
You could allow yourself to check it on your lunch break but then lock it away again until the end of the day. If you feel uncomfortable having it away from you, you could switch it to ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’.
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Ensure your WFH software is user-friendly
Finally, one of the most distracting factors while working from home has to be inaccessible software. After all, you are at home and essentially relying on yourself to be able to navigate the programs required to do your job – and if you find that difficult, it could lead to extreme procrastination.
SaaSgenius.com has a list of tried and tested WFH software options, each one equipped with a ranking out of 5 stars. This list allows you to hand-pick the software that is right for you and your role, as most programs offer free trials for you to experiment with.
Whether you are in content, marketing, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or any sector that can be done from home, having the appropriate software is guaranteed to encourage improved productivity levels.
