Working from home can be so difficult because of all the distractions. Here’s how I deal with them to continue being productive.
Family:
Family can be one of the biggest distractions. You know how it goes, you’re sitting at the table working and your kids constantly come up to you interrupting your focused work. Before you know it, you’re downstairs getting them snacks, sweeping the floor or on the couch watching them play a game.
However fun this distraction can be, it makes it extremely hard to get back into the work grind. How I manage this is by making sure my family/kids have everything they’ll need while I work. Snacks are laid out, I give them different ideas to keep them entertained, and then I talk with them. It’s important they know that you are always there if they need you, but to also limit the fun random things so you stay focused and get done sooner, allowing for more time spent with them.
Once they understand what you’re doing, tell them something fun you plan on doing with them after. Usually, they are able to give you the time you need because they know what’s coming after.
Phone:
Electronics are always a huge distraction for me. Once you get scrolling, its hard to stop. I have a rule with myself that I have 1 hour to mindlessly search social media, after that hour is up, hard work begins again.
The key to this goal is to actually follow through with yourself. Don’t keep pushing it back 5 minutes, one more minute, okay ONE more minute then I’m done! Pretty soon, you’ll look back and notice you spent an extra 20 minutes!
Or, you can also say once your work is done, then you get an hour. That one doesn’t work as smoothly for me as I need a break during my day. However, when I’m able to really hold myself accountable, I love being done with work sooner. Pick the best option for you and stick to it! Your productive bone will thank you later!
Tiredness:
I’m sure we can all relate to being tired. It can be extremely difficult to work through being tired. And if you do, usually your work isn’t the best.
What I like to do is give myself either a 30 minute or hour long nap. Just long enough to feel less tired and ready to continue working. It’s always hit me hardest at 3pm when I’ve already been working 6 hours.
I tend to get tired really easy, and this has always been a struggle for me to overcome. Sometimes you just have to admit you’re tired and take a power nap to feel rejuvenated. I used to hate naps cause I felt lazy, but if I can squeeze in a power nap when I need it, I do.
Hunger:
This is a distraction people don’t talk about as much. Inbetween work from 3-when I start my other job I get realllllly hungry. I know this and can plan for it, because it happens like clockwork. What I like to do is take a protein drink with peanut butter to give me the extra boost.
This is just enough to give me energy, but not too much to make me tired from having a food coma. When you’re full and your belly isn’t growling, that’s one distraction I don’t have to worry about.
Perfect snack ideas to incorporate: Peanut butter and celery, protein drink with peanut butter, banana with nutella, celery and ranch, and 4 oz of meat with half a cup rice.
Worrying:
I can sometimes be lost away in thought worrying. This is such a hard distraction to overcome because work is your last priority. Sometimes it’s important to address the issues so you aren’t so worried and others its best to move on from it and stop allowing it a place in your thoughts.
If something is really worrying me and it has for days, I figure out why I feel that way. If it’s something I can easily fix by a phone call or taking it on directly to end it, I will. However if its a worry caused from anxiety or stress, I have to just push through it.
It’s all a balance. How much do you allow something to control your thoughts before moving on? I personally like to work through things and be ready to work before I know I work. It’s hard to be all in on your job when your mind is wandering.
That brings us here, 5 worries I have and how I manage them.
There are so many other distractions we all face in life. Can you think of any I missed? Let me know in the comments down below!
Distractions are completely normal, it’s how we deal with them that either makes us productive for that day or not. I love how I feel after a long day knowing I did my best and pushed through my own personal barriers.
Did any of my distractions and how I manage them resonate with you? It’s good to know that we aren’t alone in how we feel and process those distractions in life. I hope that I was able to give you guys some good ideas that have been beneficial for me in my business.
All my love,
Talesha