If you’re working from home, creating a distraction-free space can help maximize productivity.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, most people swapped their office environment from a corporate setting to a home setting. Fast forward two years into the pandemic and many businesses, companies, and entrepreneurs have decided to work from home permanently. Working from home can be highly distracting, and sometimes it can feel impossible to stay focused and productive. If you’re not easily distracted, you may find it easy to stick a desk and chair anywhere in your home and get a full work-day done without any issues. However, the odds are that if you’re reading this, it’s because you’re yearning for a distraction-free space.
Figure out your needs for working from home
Depending on the type of job you have, and your unique working habits, a distraction-free space could look different for you than your peers. Are you on the phone all day? Do you need to be in video meetings multiple times a day? Are you reading important documents? You’ll have to identify which distractions affect your job the most and then determine how to fix them.
It’s normal to have unproductive days but think about the days when you’re the most productive working from home. Do you have music playing in the background? Is your home empty and completely quiet? Is there someone else working in the same room with you? Once you know what works and what doesn’t, you can start from there and make changes that are best suited for your specific job and individual needs.
Separate your office from other areas of your home
Although the idea of working from bed all day seems like a dream come true, in reality, it’s not very practical. If you working from home at the kitchen table, you may find yourself distracted by the dishes in the sink. You might get a sudden urge to label and organize all of your spices in fancy containers. Separating your workspace from your living spaces can eliminate many distractions.
If you need to make some extra space, you could place some of your belongings in a storage space to create an office space. If you don’t have a separate room or area to use, facing your desk away from distracting elements or putting up a room divider could be a great alternative.
Choose a space with natural lighting.
If you’re in an area where the only lighting is the soft white lightbulb on your ceiling, you may find yourself getting up to escape it quite often. Working from home in spaces that aren’t well-lit can get tiring and make it harder to concentrate. Setting up your work area somewhere with plenty of natural light could make a massive difference in your productivity level. If this isn’t possible, there are special lamps and lights you can buy that imitate the natural sunlight.
Whether you’re new to working from home or had a well-used home office before the pandemic, creating a distraction-free space to work is crucial. It’s hard not to mix your work life with your home life when you – quite literally – have to. Setting personal boundaries with yourself and your housemates can help significantly. Once you create the perfect space and develop solid routines, you’ll find that the work from home life can be very efficient and rewarding.
