How to Focus When You Work From Home

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woman working outside the office on laptop

We've talked about how to focus on work before, but not in a while — and we've never discussed how to focus when you work from home! Whether you're 

Eat the frog first thing

One of the big tips to improve your focus is to “eat the frog” (affiliate link) by getting the thing you're dreading out of the way first thing every day. Then you don't have to spend the rest of the day avoiding it (and possibly wasting time procrastinating). 

Some of our latest favorite books on productivity, below:

Use a Bluetooth keyboard with an iPhone or iPad.

I've found that using a Bluetooth keyboard is almost like working on a typewriter because it's very hard to have forty million tabs open when you're working on a mobile device! 

Manage your energy

If you hit a slow time every afternoon, keep a running list of low-level work (things that are easy, things you enjoy, etc.) that you can do during your low-energy times. Try to recognize when you're most productive, and do your best to guard against scheduling meetings, running errands, or getting distracted by texts or whatnot during those times.

Ask yourself what tools and workspace you need for each task

For example, if you need to spread out piles of paper, your bed may not be a great place to work. (Also, working in the same place that you sleep may make it harder to fall asleep at night.) You may need to type with a number keyboard, in which case your Chromebook or Bluetooth keyboard won't be ideal and you'll need your desktop.

If you feel like working outside for a bit, great — but you may not get the best WiFi out there. (See more of our thoughts on the pros and cons of different workspaces around your home!) 

{related: tips for working outside while working from home }

Find the flow

To me, working from home is all about the flow. If you can get into the flow, you're doing great — and remember where you were and what about the work situation worked best. Not everything is reproducible, but it's worth keeping track and trying to see a pattern.

Schedule your workday using the Pomodoro technique

We mentioned this popular strategy in our post on scheduling breaks to increase your productivity, and lots of people find it helpful. It's also great to use the scheduled breaks to get exercise snacks — do one minute of kettlebell swings, planks, squats, push-ups, or something else! Our tips on how to fit exercise into a busy day may help!

{related: the best streaming workouts to do at home}

Add background noise if it helps

If you're used to the background noise in your office and you're finding your home to be too quiet, check out our recommendations for the best Spotify playlists to help you focus. A white noise machine may help, too.

Find an accountability buddy

If you're really struggling with getting work done, add some accountability to your day by connecting with a friend or coworker who's having similar problems. Set up specific times during the day to check in with each other and share what you've accomplished so far.

Try to duplicate a typical morning — at home

Your pre-quarantine, typical morning office routines will act as cues to get your brain into work mode. Shower, get dressed, make coffee, put on your makeup if it'll help, review your weekly calendar, etc. 

Consider a more robust to-do list method

If your to-do strategy at the office is, say, keeping a list of tasks scribbled on a pad of paper, you may need to up your game right now. Check out our post on how to keep track of work to-dos, including the reader comments!

What have you found helpful regarding how to focus when you work from home, whether you're new to remote work or a veteran?

Stock photo via Death to Stock.

One Comment

  1. Great article Kat! I’m deffo going to check out the Eat the Frog book! I’d also recommend as a tip that wearing office clothes also boosts productivity!

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