Working from home used to be the dream. People would picture laying cozily in bed in their pajamas, sipping coffee, and petting their dog while they half-paid attention to their laptop. Unfortunately, the reality is that this imagined ideal isn’t the best way to work- and production has plummeted since countless people have started to try and acclimate to working from home. There are more distractions in our homes, more simple comforts, and more of a chance that we could be interrupted by something far more exciting than work.
So, how do we make this work?
Designate Spaces
You don’t need a giant office, but you should designate an area that’s just for work. Make it clear to yourself and those in your mobile whiteboards that this is a place that can only be used to complete work. Don’t work from bed or attempt to make it work on the couch, or you’ll have a hard time separating working and resting time. It’s also important to keep this separation because it will train your brain to recognize that sitting there means business and will make it easier for you to focus.
Clean Your House
There’s no way that when you were looking at Cincinnati houses for sale, you were aiming to start collecting things you didn’t need or that you could know you’d have to vacuum always because of your dog. That’s fair! Unfortunately, most peoples’ brains have trouble focusing when their surroundings are in chaos. On the last day of your weekend, take the time to deep clean and organize your apartment. Scrub down kitchens and bathrooms, sweep and vacuum as much as necessary, and get the laundry out of the way. After this, you can spot clean through the week, but you won’t have a mess to distract you from work.
Block Out Distraction
It may feel rude to block out those in your life, but you have to create a boundary to work. Post your schedule on your door, or stick a whiteboard to your office door, and write on it when you’re going to come out- or when people can come in. This plan helps give you some control and allows people to understand you can’t be interrupted. It can take our brains a full twenty-three minutes to get back on track after a distraction, which is time that many of us can’t afford to lose!
Grow Greenery
This tip isn’t a common one because it’s a little more abstract than just having to keep track of your hours or tidying up. Buy a couple of plants that you can keep in your working area. Greenery is suitable for people, it can purify the air in minimal amounts, and the act of caring for a plant can help our bodies create more and more serotonin than we would usually produce. This action will help us form a positive connection with these areas and push us to want to be in our office spaces. Just make sure that you know how to care for your plants properly and that you remember when and if to water them.
