Work from Home? 6 Tips for Staying Focused & Productive

It can easy to get distracted sometimes when you work from home. There are days where you might be tempted to bring your laptop into bed and stay in your pajamas all day. But that can make it easier to give in to distractions. It can also make it harder for you to fall asleep at night. If you work from home, keep reading to learn six tips for staying focused and productive during the workday.

1. Get in the groove

When you work from home, it can be tempting to sleep in sometimes or keep working long after quitting time. To avoid both temptations, set a routine and stick to it as much as possible. Start and end work around the same time every day.

Read also: 5 Things to Add to Your Morning Routine for a More Productive Day

2. Create an office space

It’s easier to stay focused if you create a designated office space in your home because you’ll get in the work mindset every time you sit down at your desk. If possible, create an office space with a door so you can close it at the end of the day and put work out of your mind until the next morning.

A designated work area will also help the people you live with learn to tell when you’re working. If you’re working from your couch or kitchen table, your roommates or family members won’t know if you’re working or just browsing the internet. So, they’ll have no qualms about distracting you.

3. Write a to-do list

Creating a to-do list each morning will help you figure out what must get done. So, you’ll spend more time on things that matter and less time responding to random emails or doing housework.

I suggest dividing your to-do list into a couple of sections:

• things that have to get done today
• tasks that you need to finish this week
• things that need to be done at a later date

If you finish everything that has to get done today, start focusing on something that has to get done this week. When you do that enough, you’ll end up making room for those things that have to get done eventually.

Read also: Want to Be More Productive? Try These 12 Lifehacks

4. Get ready for the day

When you spend your whole day in your pajamas, it can make you feel sleepy and unmotivated. To stay energized and focused, get dressed every workday. You don’t have to put on a suit and tie, but even putting on jeans or workout clothes can help you get in the right mindset.

5. Get out of the house

If you’re stuck in a rut and feel unmotivated, get out of the house if you can. Bring your laptop to your local coffee shop or rent a desk in a local coworking space. You can even bring your computer out onto your deck or porch. A change of scenery can do wonders.

6. Figure out when you work best

Not everyone is productive between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM. So, figure out when you’re the most focused and plan your most important tasks around those times. If your company doesn’t care when you work, as long as everything gets done, then consider adjusting your hours to do the bulk of your work when you’re the most productive.

Read also: Early Birds and Night Owls: 3 Tips for Staying Productive in a 9-5 Business