How To Stay Focused When Working From Home
For many, remote work is a new reality. While some might enjoy it, some might be struggling. The Appetite team put some main tips together about how to keep the focus and the motivation on a high level.
Keep your environment clean
A realistic fact is that we feel better in a clean space, but also feel more organized and less tense. Having mess around us is much more likely to raise our stress levels. This doesn’t mean you need to clean every corner of your home, but simply clean up your workspace after working hours, keep your kitchen and your bathroom in order. You know, simple things.
Keep your workspace organized
Your workspace should contain working materials, and working materials only. Don’t fill it with food, the TV remote, pictures or any of the unnecessary objects. Keep it simple. Your computer, charger, phone, notes and a glass of water.
Get rid of distractions
Home is a place where we slow down, chill and usually do the “easy” things. Therefore, it is very easy to fall into distracting traps. It happens to the best of us. But enough time has passed so you should be able to reflect on it and pinpoint what distracts you. Keeping the TV and phone notifications on, the snacks too close to the working space, the list goes on and on… Notice your own distractions and think of a way to prevent them. Once you see a distraction getting you unfocused from what you should be doing, fight it!
Write to-do lists and/or productivity trackers
Old school? No, not at all. Having a to-do list will help you stay on track, and putting a check next to the accomplished task will definitely have an effect on your dopamine levels, which initially puts your mind into a productive mood.
Seeing how much you got done and how well it was done is a tool to track your own progress and performance, easy to create and even easier to reflect upon.
Eat energy boosting foods
Let’s be honest, we all tend to binge eat at home. But what we don’t pay attention to, is that our body actually becomes tired and less active with a big food intake, especially loads of unhealthy food. In terms of being productive for the whole work day, our body, as well as our mind, needs healthy, energy and brain boosting foods in optimal amounts. For example, coffee, dark chocolate, blueberries, oranges, nuts and broccoli are great brain foods!
Explore with what boosts your productivity
Every human is a unique individual, and what works best for you, might not work so well for your family member, best friend, or a stranger. Maybe you need a reward after each “hard” task is completed? Maybe you need some stretching when you notice that your brain is fried? Maybe meditation is your way of clearing your mind? Now is the best time to try new things out!