Working from home is a dream come true for many, but it still comes with its challenges!
It’s so easy to get distracted while working from home. Free access to TV, the kitchen nearby, a flexible schedule and no one to supervise you and make sure you stay on task.
Plus, it can get pretty tiring staring at a screen all day (assuming you’re working from a laptop or computer).
Don’t worry if you’re having a difficult time staying focused or getting tired of working on the computer. You can easily combat these issues with a few simple tips.
Here are 5 ways to make working from home a little easier:
Find A Dedicated Workspace
One of the top benefits of working from home is being able to work from anywhere you want, whether that’s on the porch, a home office or even in your bed!
While working from a comfy bed or couch sounds like paradise, you may find it worthwhile to keep yourself from getting too comfortable.
Having a dedicated workspace can help you stay focused on your work. If you work from the same spot every day, you’ll be able to get into “work mode” faster.
But if you really want to reap the benefits of working from home and be as comfy as possible, consider converting a certain couch or armchair that you own into a “work-only” spot.
Just make sure you have enough space for all of your work items. It’s also important to keep your laptop elevated to eye-level so you can avoid bad posture. You may find a mobile laptop desk or a portable laptop stand to be useful!
Get Yourself A Mug Warmer
It’s essential to minimize distractions while working from home. Distractions are all over the place; a kitchen full of food, the TV, no one around to make sure you’re not using your phone, you name it.
One great way to minimize distractions is to reduce the amount of times you need to get up from your workspace. If you’re an avid coffee or tea drinker, a mug warmer will help you do just that.
You can keep a mug warmer on your desk so you don’t have to worry about having to heat up your drink if it cools down.
Here’s a great mug warmer on Amazon that comes in many different colors. I’ve been using a mug warmer while I work for years and I could not go without it. It’s very convenient!
Use The Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro method is a time management technique where you set up a timer and do 25 minutes of focused work, then take a 5 minute break. You repeat this for 4 cycles. At the end of the 4th cycle, you get to take a longer, 15+ minute break. You can repeat your Pomodoro cycles as many times as you’d like.
Here’s what your routine may look like:
- 25 minutes of work (cycle 1)
- 5 minute break
- 25 minutes of work (cycle 2)
- 5 minute break
- 25 minutes of work (cycle 3)
- 5 minute break
- 25 minutes of work (cycle 4)
- 15+ minute break
This is a great way to get focused and stay productive. You’d be surprised at how much work you can get done when you’re under a time limit!
The breaks are a great opportunity to get up and walk around, take a bathroom break or do some light stretching.
Feel free to adjust your work and break timers however you’d like. You may prefer longer work cycles and longer breaks. Whatever works best for you is fine!
Schedule No-Screen Work Time
It can get a little tiring working solely from your laptop or computer all day, so try to schedule in some work you can do off-screen.
What you can do off-screen will depend on your job, but it may be tasks like drafting blog posts, drafting emails, writing down ideas, planning, etc.
You can do these things on your laptop/computer, and it’s completely fine to do so if you find that to be easier! But you may enjoy being able to focus your attention somewhere else for a while.
Use The 20/20/20 Rule
The 20/20/20 rule is great for preventing eyestrain while working in front of a screen all day. For every 20 minutes you spend looking at a screen, look at something at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds.
While looking at your object, make sure you let your eyes relax. Don’t stare at the object intensely or it will defeat the purpose of the rule.
Eyestrain can cause many symptoms such as dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and more, so be sure to give your eyes frequent breaks.
Final Thoughts
Working from home is such a gift for many of us, but we can’t deny that it can be difficult at times. I hope these tips help make working from home easier for you.
Do you work from home as a blogger? If so, you may enjoy these blog posts…
5 Ways To Make Your Blog Posts Easier To Read