10 Tips to Stay Focused as a Work-from-Home Writer
When working remotely, whether it be as a writer or for any other profession, you have to figure out a method and schedule that will work for you. Scheduling and focus are key but they don’t just happen on their own; these are skills that you develop from diligent effort and habit building. We’re here to help!
In this article, you’ll learn 10 helpful tips to help you get on the right track to staying focused and getting things done while working at home.
1) Test-Drive Planning Methods
There are a million different planning methods out there; try them all on for size until you find the one that works right for you. You never know, you might end up coming up with your own by taking your favorite components from a couple of different ones.
There are a few different ways to go about this. You can research a variety of planning methods and try them out for yourself on a blank sheet of paper. You could invest a little money and try the pre-printed calendars (like the Happy Planner or the Passion Planner). There’s also a variety of options available with bullet journals to help you customize your planning method.
2) Keep Your Space Organized
Cluttered spaces can translate into cluttered mental spaces, making it hard for you to stay focused or get work done. Keep your office space organized and clutter free, being sure to keep everything you need put away and organized within close reach. This will help you find everything you need easily and guarantee that you have enough space to work.
In addition to creating a positive working environment that promotes productivity, keeping a clean desk can also help promote generosity and healthy eating, according to The Association for Psychological Science. There are also benefits to keeping a messy desk, like increased creativity and idea generation, so you’ll have to do some soul searching to determine which side you fall on.
3) Stick to the Routine
One of the best ways to keep yourself focused and ensure you are productive when working from home is to establish a routine and stick to it. We are creatures of habit; if you start and end work at relatively the same time every day, sit in the same location, etc., your brain automatically kicks into “work mode” as you do. The better established the routine, the better it will work.
4) Create a Positive Working Environment
Your office space, however that looks for you, needs to be a space in which you’re comfortable, happy, productive, and creative. You want to design a space that is comfortable without being overly so, has a calming feel to it, and that is in no way distracting. Adding some personal touches to your at-home office space like some photos and decorations is a great way to make the space more aesthetically pleasing and to promote a more positive working experience (which helps productivity!), but be careful to not overdo it. Too much clutter can cause way too much distraction and can clutter your mind, making it hard to focus.
5) Don’t Be Afraid to Mix It Up
While, yes, it’s great to stick to your routine, once you’ve established that routine, as long as your work habits are the same (silence phone, use same materials, do things in the same order of operations, etc.), you’ll still reap the benefits regardless of where you are. So don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit.
One of the benefits to working from home is having the freedom to take it anywhere and to make your own schedule. So take your work outside, bring your laptop along to your favorite coffee shop, mix it up every now and again because otherwise you’re going to get burnt out.
6) Limit Distractions
Being at home makes it entirely too easy to be distracted; after all, everything you love to do is right there within grasp. This means that you will have to actively limit your distractions. Practice muting your phone, doing your work in a room without a television, using sound-proofing headphones, etc. Anything to keep your distractions to a minimum can help.
7) Stick to Your Work Hours
Staying focused isn’t just about what you do while you work. Keeping the boundaries between work and home is extremely crucial when it comes to work-from-home careers, because when you work from home you’re already blurring those lines. There are a few good steps for how you can maintain these boundaries but the single most important is to establish work hours and stick to them.
If you get an email or phone call after your hours have ended, ignore it and deal with it in the morning. This can be difficult, especially when you first get started, but trust me when I say you need to do this for your mental health. It is incredibly difficult to maintain these boundaries when working from home but it’s crucial, make the effort.
8) Celebrate Victories, Even the Small Ones
When you’re working on your own timeline in your own space, it’s important to be your own cheerleader too. Don’t let the little victories pass you by. Celebrate all your achievements and reward yourself for your hard work. You’ve earned your success and you’ve earned a celebration, too.
9) Get Yourself Ready for Work
One of the perks to working from home is the ability to wear whatever you want and do your work wherever you want, but, if you’re struggling to keep focused, this may not be the best thing to exercise. Getting ready for your day can make an incredible difference in your focus, productivity, and mood. You don’t have to do a full face of make-up and dress business casual unless you want to, it can be as simple as putting on some clean clothes, washing your face, and readying yourself for the day. You won’t believe the difference this small change can make.
10) Give Yourself a Break
As important as it is to get your work done and stay focused, it’s more important to remember that you’re not a machine. Your life is about far more than just work and your mental health is important. Give yourself a break and cut yourself some slack; you’re getting plenty of work done and it will all be okay. You need a break every now and again to recharge; you can’t pour from an empty cup.
As you continue to develop your work-from-home career, we encourage you to look through our blog and subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you never miss a post that could lead to your success. As you adjust to the life of working remotely, remember to go easy on yourself; it’s an adjustment so it will take time to perfect.
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