The Most Common Distractions When Working From Home And How To Stop Them

Working from home can be extremely convenient, especially given the current pandemic or if you’ve got kids that are too young to go to school. Unfortunately, it can also be very distracting. There’s just too much going on! Luckily, there are some measures you can take to minimize these distractions, but first, you’ve got to identify them.

Family

We obviously love our family, but sometimes they can be a little distracting when working from home. Your spouse will usually understand that you’re trying to get work done and let you focus, but even then they might still make noise or talk to someone, which can pull you out of your work. Kids can be even harder to maintain.

They can be loud and tend to run around, plus when you hear something that sounds mischievous you might be tempted to stop what your doing and investigate. There are also pets to think about. A cat might not be a big deal, but if you own a dog and they know you’re home then they’re going to want some attention. And who can say no to a dog?

A good way to deal with this is to let your spouse know–politely–that things are distracting you. Ask if they can deal with the kids and pets for a while until you’re done, if possible. Headphones are also a good investment.

Temptations

Working from home takes more willpower than working from the office. While it can be convenient, there are also many more temptations that call out to you. The television is just down the stairs, and there’s a new episode of your favorite show out.

Maybe you’re typically able to resist checking your phone when at work, but with no immediate repercussions, you might find yourself scrolling through Facebook out of nowhere. Or perhaps you find yourself staring out the window until you get bored and begin browning the internet.

First off, mute your phone. Leave calls on for emergencies, such as from your spouse or a medical provider, like Northwest Surgery Center, but that’s it. Try moving it away from your desk so you’re not tempted to browse.

Remember that after you’ve put in your hours, then you can watch your show, and there are actually programs you can download to block certain sites for specific periods of time–so if you know you’re going to be tempted to look at Netflix or Facebook, you’ll have to wait.

Your House

Who knew your home could be so noisy by itself? The icemaker, the pipes, the wind running through the vents: all small on their own, but a real nuisance when constantly happening throughout the day, not to mention the mess.

When you’re sitting at home all day you may get the urge to clean or start prepping for dinner. Don’t do it. Don’t go down this rabbit hole. This is supposed to be work time, not house time. There will be time to catch up on the house later, but it’s a bad idea to fall behind on the work that pays the bills.

One way you can deal with the sound distractions is to once again invest in headphones. A good pair of headphones can help block the noise and get you into a working groove. If you don’t want to spend money, just pull up some background music or white noise sounds on your laptop and let it drown everything out. As far as the housework goes, just remember that you’re not getting paid for how nice your house looks and can always tidy up later, but your job takes top priority.

Closing

Getting distracted while working from home can be incredibly frustrating, but if you implement these steps you can lessen the effects. Will power is key, but if you need to block some websites, your phone, and the television, then do what you have to do.