We all know focusing is not easy, with the increasing number of distractions pulling our attention in every direction. And working from home? Sometimes that can feel impossible.
In a recent poll on our LinkedIn feed, you told us your biggest distraction when working from home was “the convenience of being able to take a nap.” (LOL.)
To help you focus better (wherever you are), we have put together a list of the top 5 focusing tips and tricks to help you break away from your distractions.
1. Put your phone away!
You pick up your phone to take a quick five-minute break, scrolling through your favorite feed or playing Candy Crush. The five minutes turns to 10, which turns into an hour. Soon you can’t seem to get back to that original task at hand. This study done by Frontier Psychology gives in-depth research to the methodology behind why we get so distracted by our phones. So, to try and eliminate this, put your phone out of sight, in another room or in your bag. Then it’s out of sight, out of mind!
2. Start your day (or work session) with some meditation
Often our biggest distraction is our own minds. According to Columbia School of Professional Studies Research, meditation really can help. Starting your day, or a big task, with just a quick meditation session can help you clear your mind and focus fully on whatever you may need to.
3. Time chunk your day
Spend a little extra effort to plan your day out in chunks. When you set time aside for specific things—maybe an hour working on a blog post, another hour working on a big project, two hours for meetings—you are able to get into a pattern and trick your brain into focusing for periods of time on that particular task. To learn more about time chunking check out this Lark post.
HudCo member Dan Greenwald, founder and strategist at ThirtyTenZero, is an expert in time chunking. Dan says, “Time is our most valuable resource. Being a master of your time is crucial in today’s attention economy, where we are bombarded with digital pollution aiming to feed our dopamine addictions. Time chunking is effective for establishing boundaries for keeping the noise out.”
4. Keep to one task at a time
Switching back and forth between tabs and responding to emails while working on a project may feel like efficiency, but in reality, this multitasking is taking you off track. The average person takes about 25 minutes to refocus after switching between tasks. For more on why it is important to limit interruptions, read this New York Times piece. The emails can wait, especially when you know you’ll check them later in a different chunk of time.
5. Find the perfect environment
It’s clear that being in your house while trying to get through the work day is extremely hard and takes some self-control. Even if you have a home office, your super comfy bed is just a short walk away. Because of this many people join coworking communities like HudCo. HudCo is the perfect space to leave the distractions behind and join other professionals while you work (plus get some member perks as well!) We even have The Study—a quiet area with no music playing, no talking, no outside distractions. Read more on the benefits of coworking here.
Want to give coworking a try? Contact us here on the inquiry form to come in for a free trial day to see if HudCo is the place for you.