Whether you work for a company or are self-employed, working from home is a reality you’re most likely used to by now.
Since the Covid’19 pandemic, remote work has become increasingly common. But it’s not always easy to work from home; countless distractions and less-than-ideal living conditions may dwindle focus and performance.
Which begs the question: how to stay focused and productive at work from home?
In this brief guide, we’ll explore common reasons working from home can be challenging. Then, once you identify which reasons resonate with you, we’ll share some tips for staying focused while working from home.
Why do I Struggle to focus at work?
There’s no single reason why you may struggle to focus at work. Instead, a combination of factors may contribute to your lack of focus while working from home.
The following factors may prevent you from staying focused at work:
Lack of rest: It doesn’t matter if you work from the office or from home: not properly resting will impair your focus. Research has confirmed that sleep deprivation can not only prevent you from focusing but also lead to cognitive decline.
Too many tasks: While some of us take pride in our ability to multitask, it also hurts productivity in the long run. Trying to juggle several tasks at once will ultimately cause you to achieve less, not more.
Distractions: The doorbell rings, your dog starts barking, or your toddler suddenly throws a tantrum. Such occurrences are common when working from home and end up distracting you.
How do you avoid distractions when working from home?
All kinds of distractions are inevitable when working from home; such is the nature of remote work. That said, it’s still possible to control the distractions to a large extent. Here’s how you can be more focused at work from home:
Manage interruptions while working from home
There are two kinds of interruptions in remote work: those you can’t control and those you can. Fortunately, most interruptions are controllable.
Although you can’t determine when the doorbell rings, you can stop your phone from ringing by putting it on silent. Moving forward, focus on managing the interruptions you can control instead of the ones you can’t.
Have your own dedicated workspace to work from home
Admit it: we’ve all considered attending that morning meeting while still laying half-asleep in bed. That said, you should not work from your bed for the same reason you should not eat in bed; your bed is for sleeping, not eating, and certainly not working!
Having a dedicated workspace at home will prevent physical and mental roadblocks. Try making a separate working space for yourself, ideally a quiet space where you can work uninterrupted. Even if you work from your bedroom, a simple desk and chair will take you far.
Accept distractions when they occur
Even if you manage interruptions and have your own dedicated workspace, you can still run into distractions.
As we said: distractions are inevitable during remote work. Rather than beating yourself up when you get distracted, it’s best to just accept it and resume working on your task when you can.
How can I stay productive and sane while working remotely?
Avoiding distractions during remote work is one thing; staying productive and protecting your mental peace is another matter entirely. Here’s how you can do both:
Discuss and Stay in touch with your colleagues
Working from home is bound to isolate you from your colleagues. This can be mentally taxing, especially if you live alone.
By remotely keeping in touch with your colleagues, you can alleviate the stress of isolation. Better yet, you can exchange notes to see what helps your colleagues stay productive and mentally healthy. If something helps your colleagues, chances are it may also end up helping you!
Say "Yes" to breaks when working from home
Excessive breaks will hurt your productivity, but so will taking too few breaks or none at all. A short break every once in a while may help refresh your focus once you return to work. One method to increase productivity using breaks is the Pomodoro technique. This technique is a time management system that encourages people to work with the time they have—rather than against it.
Keep your home and work life separate
Finally, it’s important to keep your home and work life separate. Although this balance may seem harder to achieve with remote work, it’s also more important than ever. Ultimately, it’s your job to ensure that your work life doesn’t significantly interfere with your home life and vice-versa.
Use Home remedies to improve memory, power and concentration in remote work
Aside from all these different techniques and tips, there is another line of defense which is using natural home remedies. No, we’re not asking you to brew another cup of coffee; instead, you can try the alternative home remedies we’ve listed below.
Use Herbal Remedies
Herbs have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, and for good reasons. Lemon balm, for instance, is a natural anxiolytic; ingesting the herb can reduce anxiety. Similarly, lavender essential oils, especially when used in aromatherapy, may help reduce stress and improve sleep quality. Ashwagandha is another medicinal herb that may offer several health benefits such as mood, memory or relief of stress and anxiety.
Reap the benefits of Mushrooms Supplements
Mushrooms, the fruiting body of mycelium, aren’t just something you put on top of a pizza or in a stew; they’re also natural medicinal powerhouses. Here are some medicinal mushrooms that modern science has confirmed as beneficial:
Lion’s Mane: Lion’s mane mushrooms can help repair damaged neurons and fortify existing ones. They also help to boost memory and related cognitive functions. Finally, they can improve concentration without additional stimulation, unlike caffeine and nicotine. Overall, the improved mental clarity and focus these mushrooms provide may just be the X-factor you need for efficiently working from home.
Reishi: These eastern medicinal mushrooms can help fight fatigue and depression. Reishi doesn’t just provide mental benefits; it can also help boost the immune system, improve heart health, and may even have anti-cancer properties.
Chaga: Chaga mushrooms can help reduce inflammation, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Although they may not directly boost your brain, keeping your body healthy will undoubtedly lead to a healthy mind.
The jury is still out on both herbal remedies and mushroom supplements, as modern science has not yet fully confirmed their benefits. That said, plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that a supplement like lion’s mane can greatly boost memory, power, and concentration.
So the next time you have to work from home, try the tips we’ve outlined in this guide. Who knows, you might just end up improving your concentration!
