How to stay focused or inspired while working or learning from home
Most of us have been working or learning from home for 5 months and now that we can start going back to doing more normal activities, how can we stay focused or inspired when we need to work?
At the start of lockdown everyone was adapting to their new working surroundings and finding the best way for them to work or learn from home. Now that summer is over and more businesses are opening up, it can be hard to stay focused or inspired to stay at home. There are many distractions and temptations that can stop us from working or learning, and as we are set to work or learn from home for a while longer, here are some top tips to help stay on track.
Set Boundaries
Making it clear to those you live with that certain times of the day are set out for you to work or study and you cannot be disturbed, will set a good working or studying practice. Having a rule where when you’re at your desk during certain hours, it becomes a distraction free zone. Only to be interrupted when something is very important. Having a space or area you can close off will make this easier.Â
Turn off Distractions
Having your news update and other alerts on your phone or work computer on silent means you can just focus on your work and not have notifications popping up. Some people go so far has turning their Wi-Fi off altogether. You won’t have the add distraction of wanting to check your emails or start looking things up. This can be applied to your phone, putting it into aero plane mode so you cannot receive calls or texts, will allow you to concentrate on the task at hand.
Have the right supplies
Making sure you have the right supplies to hand will make it easier to work or learn. These can include; note pads, sticky notes, headphones, a printer and water. Using your sticky notes or note pad to write down new ideas, reminders or thoughts can keep you on track and help remind you of tasks or ideas to pick back up. Using headphones for noise cancelling can help with noisy neighbors or background noise that can distract you. Having these supplies close to hand when you need them, stops a root around your house trying to find things and by then your thought is gone.
 Take Breaks
Working on one task solidly for a long time doesn’t do you or your project any good. Factoring in time to socialise, read the news, check social media or spend time with your loved ones will keep your work or learning life balanced. This will also give your brain time to process what you are working on in the background and may come up with new ways to tackle it when you do get back to it.
Know yourself
Knowing how you like to work can help you structure your day better. If you know you work better in the morning for bigger more complicated projects or in the afternoon for creative things. Block those times out to do those tasks and fit other tasks around them. You will be able to work to your strengths and get the most out of your work patterns. Also listen to your body to know when to take a break or exercise. Over working yourself can affect your work or study negatively in the long term.Â
Create the right Environment
Most people know how and where they like to work or learn. Try to recreate that environment while you’re still at home, will make sure you are at your best and comfortable. Avoid working or learning from your bedroom or sofa. You can disassociate your bedroom from a space for sleeping to one of working, which in the long turn will mean it’s harder to get to sleep. Sitting for a long time on your sofa can cause back and shoulder strain, using a desk or table with a proper chair, will stop this from happening.
All these tips are important if you are working or learning from home. If you are looking to boost your skills or get a kick start to your career, Free2Learn has great online virtual courses to help. Go to: https://free2learn.org.uk/courses/ and see what inspires you
