It’s natural for distractions to raise issues in a work environment that you share with your dog and toddler. And when we feel we’re falling behind, our first response is to overcompensate. While many people accept that interruptions are normal, they respond by overexerting themselves to compensate for every time they step away from the desk.
If you’re working remotely and trying to overdeliver, you place yourself at risk of burnout, which means you’ll go from being behind on work to being unable to work in general. Manage distractions from your home-bound work by exploring these three effective ways to get work done in a distracting home.
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Set External Boundaries
It’s important to set boundaries for your home office to avoid external distractions. Evaluate the time schedule of your day-to-day tasks and set up parameters for when you and others living in your home need to be mindful of the time marking deadlines or mandatory meetings.
Set Internal Boundaries
It’s also important to set boundaries for yourself when you start work and avoid multitasking. Structure your day to focus on specific tasks and establish these boundaries with yourself to help maintain a standard workday that is mindful of distractions to avoid the urge to overcompensate every time they occur.
Recognize Triggers
It’s human nature for our focus to shift, especially if a task is daunting or other priorities demand our attention. Whenever we engage in one kind of distraction, it increases the chance of being caught up in another one. If you know going to get a snack from your kitchen means you’ll likely have a 20-minute conversation with your roommate, plan to have your snack on hand at your desk to avoid this distraction.
Working from home is an evolving practice in our modern world, and it’s important to be proactive in adjusting your workflow to the inevitable distractions in a home office environment. Be mindful of how to minimize distractions in your home office to maximize productivity without the price of burning yourself out. Hopefully, these effective ways to get work done in a distracting home will help.
