How to handle the home office
Many people are still adapting to work from home. You feel like you have plenty of time and yet you miss more time to finish everything.
What kills our productivity and how to deal with distractions?
Here are some most common distraction we all face
1) Smartphones
2) Social media
3) Emails
4) A noisy family member or partner
5) Messy workspace
6) Often smoking and snack breaks
How to deal with them?
1) We all catch ourselves checking our phones constantly, either we have a message or phone call, we do it unconsciously. The best way is to turn off the ring tone and check phones during the break.
2) Social media is awesome but also addictive, we are seeking for our dopamine dose and many times we just scroll for no reason. You have an option Do not disturb and you can silent your notifications, also you have website blockers and google chrome extensions like DistractOff, start using it and you will see how your productivity improves.
3) During your working hours organize in advance your time for checking emails and stick to it. It can be 2 or 3 times per day but only then you will respond. It turns out, most of those emails that you think to require your immediate attention really don’t, and if someone needs to get a hold of you to answer questions, they usually find a way to.
4) It’s hard to explain to your family member that if you are at home that you are actually working. Close your door, if you can lock, ask them politely to not interrupt you and to respect your working hours and space.
5) A messy workspace will result in a messy mind. Your brain will be easily distracted by many objects around you. Minimalism is the key here. Keep only those things that contribute to your work.
6) You should make breaks of course, but doing it randomly will get you out of track. When you set your working hours, precisely set your time for breaks, when you eat (and what you eat) and when it’s time for smoking or/and coffee. You will be more organized and satisfied with how you are really more focused during work.
And for the end, do not practice multitasking, it’s a myth more harmful than we think. Maybe it sounds good to do several things at once, but the truth is you will each one do worse and it will increase your stress level and slow down your working pace. Instead, prioritize them and do the important ones first.
Feel free to share with us your opinions, distractions, and ways to deal with them. Let’s discuss more.
