By: Melanie Moore

 

Distractions, whether they come from the TV, social media, the dishes, the laundry, your family, your pets, etc can hinder your productivity and make it challenging to get things finished. While you can’t turn off everything in your life to operate in “work mode”, there are some things you can do to minimize distractions.

  1. Create dedicated work area
    Having a specific space that you have assigned as your office space might help get your mind into “work mode” and keeping your attention. Ideally this space should be away from heavy traffic to keep your mind focused on what you need to accomplish.
  2. Clearly define your boundaries
    One of the biggest challenges when working from home is the distinction between business and personal life can become blurry. Setting clear working hours or “office hours” will let your family know when you are not available.
  3. Disable notifications
    Social media, email, and other app notifications can easily become a source of distraction. During “work hours”, turn off all notifications that are not relevant until you are outside of work hours. Many apps and phones have the option to restrict notifications to help keep you focused. My #1 tip for this is to turn your phone on Do Not Disturb. My phone sits on Do Not Disturb for a majority of my work day and I can still set certain people to be able to break through for emergencies. This function is a lifesaver for me to keep me on track.
  4. Take breaks
    Taking regular breaks can help you stay productive and focused when you start to feel distracted. I am a fan of the Pomodoro Technique where you do focused work for 25 minutes and then take a break.  Taking breaks can also help prevent burnout on tasks (and the business overall) and keeps you energized throughout the day.
  5. Prioritize tasks
    A daily to-do list can help you prioritize tasks and stay focused on what needs to be done. You will want to identify the most important tasks and focus on completing them first (aka Eat that Frog). Consider breaking your work into smaller tasks so you can more easily track your progress and remain focused, and it feels really good to check them off as completed.

At the end of the day, it is up to you to create an environment that supports your productivity, minimizes the distractions and helps you to complete the tasks you set out to do each week.

 

 

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