How To Focus While Working From Home | GUEST POST
Updated: Oct 28, 2019
I am super excited to have JumpStart Positivity guest post on the website today! They are an amazing blog that I have been following for awhile and now they are HERE guest posting on CherishingFlo! HOW EXCITING IS THAT?! So, hopefully you guys enjoy their wonderful post on focusing while working from home!
Introduction:
In 2014, I answered a Craigslist ad that started my work-at-home journey. (Yes, I know that sounds super sketchy, but it turned out to be a legitimate job opportunity). I became a virtual assistant, working from home on my own terms.
If working from home and spending all day in your pajamas sounds fun, that’s because it is! However, I soon discovered that if I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t get anything done.
Working at home can be flexible, but sometimes that flexibility comes at a price. At home, there are distractions that you wouldn’t normally have at an office, like kids, pets, and partners. Unless you’re diligent about staying focused, it’s nearly impossible to get work done.
Having worked from home for several years now, I’ve refined my work-at-home schedule to maximize my productivity. (And, in case you’re wondering, I’ve upgraded my PJ’s to yoga pants).
Here are some productivity tips to help you minimize distractions and focus while working from home.
How to Focus While Working From Home
Create a schedule
When you work from home, it’s important to make schedule for yourself and stick to it. This will allow you to prioritize your tasks, focus one thing at a time, and minimize distractions.
Creating a productive schedule includes setting your working hours and prioritizing your tasks, and knowing when to take breaks.
Working Hours
Since you work from home, you can set your own working hours. Your availability should accommodate your clients’ needs as well as your own schedule and preferences.
Scheduling Time for Your Clients
It’s helpful to be available when your clients are online so that you can reach each other as needed. A little bit of phone or email tag never hurt anyone. However, it’s also undeniably satisfying being able to communicate quickly without waiting until the next day for a response.
That being the case, if all of your clients live in California, you might work Pacific Time hours, regardless of where you live. If all of your clients live in different time zones, try to have a few hours of overlap in case you need to schedule any calls with your clients.
For example, I currently live in the Mountain Time Zone, but I have clients in the Pacific, Central, and Eastern time zones. In my case, I’ve found that working from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time ensures that all of my clients can reach me during normal business hours.
Scheduling Time for Yourself
Your schedule should also take into consideration any unique circumstances. For example, if you have children that you need to drop off and pick up from school, you might work a split shift (early morning and late afternoon or evening), so that you can be there for your family when they need you.
I’ve personally found that I can’t take any meetings before 10:00 am, simply because I’m not a morning person. I’m not as mentally sharp that early in the morning! I’ve also found that my mental clarity declines after dinner time. By setting my working hours for the times when I’m at my best, I can ensure that my clients get that best quality of work from me.
Enforce Your Working Hours
Once you’ve set your working hours, enforce them. Let your friends, family, and clients know which days of the week and which hours you’ll be working.
Setting Boundaries with Clients
Your clients need to know when you’re available so they know when they can reach you. It’s also a good idea to list your working hours in your client contract, so that there are clear expectations and boundaries. If for any reason a client insists on your completing work outside of your normal hours, you can refer back to your contract.
Although it might be tempting to indulge every client request, don’t be afraid to say no. If a client asks for a 7:00 am meeting when you’re not even out of bed at that time, say no. If a client requests a last-minute project at 9:00 pm at night, say no. And, if a client calls or texts you a zillion times in a row, maybe you need to find a new client…
Yes, you need clients to help you pay your bills, and yes, you want to do a good job, but nothing is worth jeopardizing your sanity. If they’re the right type of client, they’ll respect your boundaries. There will always be more clients, but there’s only ONE you!
Setting Boundaries with Family and Friends
Ever have a friend or family member interrupt you or ask for favors in the middle of the day because you’re the only one they know that’s at home? Well, enforcing your working hours goes for them as well.
Even though you’re at home, that doesn’t mean that you’re available. After all, you’re working. If you worked at regular office, they wouldn’t stop by unannounced and demand your attention, would they?
Remind your friends and loved ones that even though you’re at home, you’re not available for random phone calls, errands, or other projects. Let them know what your working hours are, and that they can most certainly reach out to you outside of those times.
If it helps, you might block time in the middle of the day to allow more flexibility in your schedule. For example, rather than letting my husband interrupt me during all hours of the day, I’ve allowed for lunchtime (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm) to double as our time to chat, have lunch, and relax for a little bit before resuming work.