Top 5 Ways to Stay Focused While You’re Working from Home

Written by Trent Brownrigg  · March 15, 2012

You can make a lot of money working from home if you stay focused. Unfortunately, staying focused at home is a little more difficult than staying focused in a structured office environment. Your dogs, kids, and TV can all be major distractions. Plus, your nice, warm bed can be a temptation that’s sometimes too difficult to resist, especially if you’re sleep deprived. If you’ve just started working at home, the transition can be tough. You have to develop new self-motivation skills that you may not have needed to have in the past. Here are some tips to help you stay focused, productive, and successful at home:
1. Don’t abandon your daily morning ritual.
It’s tempting to just roll out of bed and start working in your pajamas. However, it’s better for you to maintain some kind of structured morning ritual. Taking time to get ready for your day will help get you in a productive groove. So, take a shower, brush your teeth, get dressed, and be sure to eat some breakfast to get your energy levels up.
2. Put on some headphones.
Listening to music and tuning out the rest of the world while you work can keep you motivated and focused on what you’re doing. Listening to music does, however, distract some people. If you know it will distract you, consider putting in some earplugs. The point is to tune everything that’s going on around you out.
3. Take short breaks.
If you try to work non-stop for eight or more hours, you’re probably going to burn out and begin to feel unmotivated. So, take a ten-minute break in the morning, take some time to eat lunch, and take another ten-minute break in the afternoon. You’re probably used to taking breaks at work, and you’ll find that they’re very beneficial when you’re working from home. Your brain can only handle so much, so give it some time to rest each day.
4. Sit at a desk in an office chair, if possible.
Slouching on the couch isn’t going to keep your energy levels up. It’s going to make you want to take a nap. It’s a better idea to sit in an office chair at a desk, if you have these things. And it’s generally a good idea to try to sit up straight. Having good posture helps keep you alert and more focused on the tasks at hand.
5. Get some fresh air and sunlight.
For an hour or two every day, you should consider working outside (if you have a laptop you can take with you outside). Being able to work outside is one of the major perks of working at home. Exposing your body to some fresh air while you work will help keep your brain working optimally. Plus, sunlight will help keep your mood high, and being in a good mood is always good for productivity.
Author’s Bio: Carolyn is a guest blogger who often writes about working at home, small business management, and inventory management. In her spare time, she likes to research ecommerce trends and the stock market.