Although the world has largely opened up and people are heading back to the office, the new omicron strain has forced many business owners to reconsider the notion of full-time in-office work. As we head into 2022, it appears that the hybrid work model will be the new normal.
Workers will spend their weekly work schedule between working in the office and working from home. Although working from home has many benefits, it also has its downsides. One of these is poor concentration. If you’ll be working from home for any length of time, you need to stay focused. Here’s how to do that.
Have Designated Workspace at Home
It’s easy to just find a chair in the house, sit down there are get to work. In fact, many people work at their dining tables in the house. Yet, if your home is like many others, the dining area is a busy and highly trafficked area –the fridge is usually nearby and it’s close to the kitchen.
Well, your best bet is to find a specific workspace at home. This can be in your study or home office, a quiet corner in the house, the basement, or even a shed outside the house. In fact, some people looking to buy residential real estate, tend to take the presence or absence of these “outhouses” into consideration.
Eliminate Distractions
While getting a dedicated workspace is the first step, there are other things that can cause distractions. For instance, some people are guilty of putting a TV in their home office. That’s a major source of distraction right there.
And when there’s no TV, there’s always social media, your phone, and other things. Start by getting rid of all sources of distraction. Start with your phone. Either turn it off or put it on mute, turn on the Do Not Disturb mode, and put it away –preferably somewhere you can’t see it.
Then, install social media blocking apps on your computing system. Tools like StayFocusd will block lots of these websites for as long as you want. And every time you try to access those sites, it’ll gently remind you to get back to work.
Set Daily or Weekly Goals
Break your monthly and weekly goals into micro tasks and turn them into daily goals. So, if you’re working five days a week, it means that you’ll need to complete 20 percent of your weekly goals per day.
Just remember to make them challenging, but not overwhelming. Use designated project management tools like Basecamp, Trello, or Asana to manage these tasks. These tools will help you track your progress or milestones and keep you on track.
Use the Work Sprint Model
Also known as the Pomodoro technique, this requires you to work in time blocks. So, you can set a 40-minute timer and get to work.
During those 40 minutes, you’ll only work on the designated task and nothing else. Once the time is up, you can take a 10-minute break. Do this 6-10 times a day, and you’ll have put in 4-7 hours of uninterrupted work –which can be a lot.