Hi, and welcome to Part II of this article. If you missed Part I, or if you’d like a quick refresher, here’s a link back to Part I: Staying focused while working from home – Part I | Denise M Dudley. So, moving forward, let’s continue with four more tips:
Plan structure into your workday
As we’ve already discussed in Part I, you’re going to start by building your day around the times when you’re the most productive. Next, it’s important to create your own personal “hours of operation,” and to share them with colleagues, family members, friends, and roommates.
Let your personal contacts know that working from home doesn’t mean you have unlimited time for socializing, and that you’ll be eager to catch up with them on your breaks or after work. In the same vein, your colleagues (and in particular, your managers) need to know which work hours you’ve set for yourself, so that they can reach you without fail. (Career tip: if you say you’re at your desk, be there.)
Furthermore, if your job entails interacting with customers or clients, it’s very likely that the structure of your workday will be determined by their availability, rather than by your preferences. (Much as you might be a high-productivity night owl, most customers don’t appreciate evening sales calls.)
After you’re thrown all considerations into the mix—your chronotype, your roommates’ sleep habits, your clients’ meeting preferences, and your manager’s work requirements—it’s likely that you’ll end up with a fairly “normal” work schedule. Most WFH people tell me that they’ve settled into a schedule that resembles a minor variation on the standard “nine to five” regimen.
Limit your consumption of all forms of media — social and otherwise
I know, I know, I sound like a total killjoy, but stay with me for just a moment. Limiting your time on media sources is excellent advice for any old time, but especially when you’re working from home. You may have already experienced how easy it is to convince yourself that you’re going to check Twitter for five minutes only, and then discover you’ve been tweeting away for thirty minutes. Or—this is my particular habit—I have a random thought: “I wonder whether all the planets rotate in the same direction…” And an hour later, I’m still YouTubing info about our solar system. (Fun fact: they don’t. Venus and Uranus rotate in the opposite direction. You’re welcome.)
So many of us behave like Pavlov’s dogs when our phones beep with notifications: we’ve just gotta check them, now, which harms both our productivity and our ability to concentrate. Instead, try these tricks:
- Turn your phone off (no, really), or put it on a timer – If you can’t turn your phone off—perhaps because you receive work-related calls—then at least turn your notifications off for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Let your colleagues know that you’re on “DND” (do not disturb) mode, but they can reach you by emailing you if it’s important. Then put your phone out of sight. Trust me, you’ll come to appreciate these small breaks from being continuously connected. You’ll feel calmer and more clear-headed, and better able to concentrate on your immediate tasks.
- Block those attention-stealing websites you’re obsessed with – From Reddit to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy, or Amazon, have you noticed how many websites will pop into your head when you should be working on that report for tomorrow’s meeting? And did you know you can use browser extensions to block yourself from those pesky productivity-killing social media sites, news outlets, and anything else that will lure you from your work? You do now, so give it a try. It’s the same concept as putting the M&Ms out in the garage (a practice one of my friends employs)—you won’t be tempted if they’re not accessible.
Schedule multiple breaks into your day
This tip’s the one that I struggle with. As I sit here, attempting to finish this article, I’m looking at my half-eaten bowl of soup, now cold. I should have gotten up from my desk, gone to the kitchen, prepared my lunch, and then eaten it at my kitchen table. Instead, I brought it back to my office, where it’s been sitting, untouched, for the past hour. Poof! There went my lunch break.
Sound familiar?
Since you’re not in the office, you may be experiencing a lack of time references—ones that would normally cue you to take breaks, such as co-workers heading to the staff kitchen for coffee, or colleagues leaving together for lunch. So, along with your lunch break (yes, don’t be like me—take one!), schedule a break at least every 90 minutes throughout your day. Get up and walk around. Do something fun. Call your mom. Play with your kids. Walk your dog. Just do something. Almost countless research studies confirm that taking a break (defined by doing something other than what you’re doing at the moment) resets your brain, stimulates your creativity, refreshes your concentration, and revives your energy. All good things.
There are times when it’s best to power on through a project to completion before leaving your desk (or your living room chair, if that’s your “office” right now), but if possible, it’s a good idea to actually schedule your breaks, including your lunch break. Why? You’re heard this old adage many times before, and it’s true: What gets scheduled gets done.
Stay active!
Exercise will definitely improve your focus and make you more productive. But it runs deeper: physical activity is essential to your overall well-being. From your brain to your heart to your lungs to your bones (and lots more), we humans need to move about in order to remain healthy. Check out the research—there’s plenty of it. Lack of movement is not only bad for your body, but it’s bad for your brain, as well. And when your brain is struggling, you’ll find that concentration is nearly impossible.
But here’s the good news: any exercise, no matter how brief, is better than no exercise at all. So whether you’re down for a full-on workout, or a light stroll around the block, you’re doing yourself a favor when you stay active. For starters, exercise increases your heart rate, which delivers oxygen to your brain—and you already know how important oxygen is for proper brain function. Exercise also promotes brain growth (it’s a “hormone bath” thing, in case you’re interested), as well as something called “brain plasticity,” which basically means that you’re forming brand new communication connections among your brain cells. Bottom line: you can literally make yourself smarter by moving around!
This is where working from home may actually have its advantages. You’re not wearing any fancy work clothes if you’re sitting at the kitchen table (at least I’m not!). You’re not limited to whatever exercise opportunities you can find around your office building. So be creative! When it’s nice outside, schedule a brisk 20-minute walk around the block with your dog. Crummy weather? Stream a short yoga or stretching/aerobic video. Or run around the house and play with your kids. Or schedule a jog with your roommates or neighbors. (Always remember to follow Covid safety measures and stay socially distanced when joining people from outside of your immediate housemate/family unit.) Here’s an idea: as soon as you finish this article, stand up! Whether or not you sit back down again is up to you, but at least it’s a start.
That’s it for now. Stay safe, stay positive, and happy, and stay productive! And if you have any suggestions for future article topics, please send me a note—my website has a “contact” form, and it’s very easy to access. I always appreciate hearing from you, so feel free to just drop in and say hi!