Tips for Staying Focused When You Work From Home

Whether your a stay-at-home mom or a business-owner operating from your home office, working at home is no easy feat!  You have just as many distractions if not more than you would in a traditional office setting coupled with the temptations of convenience and comfort.  Its easy to get off track when you don't have a manager monitoring your work flow, so what do you do to stay focused?

Focus on one task at a time

It happens before you know it.  First you come into the kitchen to throw something away then you realize that the dishes haven't been put into the dishwasher and that the plants need watering.  Next moment your on the phone with your mom discussing your upcoming visit as you flip through the latest issue of Domino.  How does this happen..?  And please tell me I'm not the only one!  When your in the mode to get things done it can be tempting to move from task to task however it so much more effective when you focus on one task at a time.  You'll get things done a lot quicker and will do a better job.

Carve out some sort of schedule

While your day-to-day routine may vary, having some sort of a schedule to follow is extremely helpful when working from home.  What happens in the middle of day can fluctuate but having a morning and evening routine provides a sense of balance for you and your family.  

Work off of a to-do list

This is a piece of advice that is relevant for everyone, no matter where they work.  Working off of a to-do list allows us to identify our priorities for each day, reminds us of our commitments, and provides us with a little peace of mind.

Take short breaks

Just as you would in an office make sure to take brief breaks throughout the day.  Get up and stretch; go for a walk; eat a nourishing snack; or take a power-nap.  Its important to keep our bodies moving.

Set boundaries

Setting boundaries for yourself is crucial when your working from home.  These will look different for everyone depending on your needs and temptations.  For some it may be food-related (i.e. "I'll eat lunch at home Monday - Thursday but Friday I can go out for a treat"), for others it could be social media related ("I can check my social media for a half hour at lunch but after 12:30 PM I 'm not allowed to get back on social media until 5:30 PM").