Since COVID-19 hit and many of us shifted to working from home, our personal and work lives have collided. Our dining rooms have become multi-purpose rooms - a home office, a classroom, a space for Zoom happy hours - and somehow amidst it all, we find time and space to eat there too. When these areas are cluttered it can lead to an overall cluttered feeling in our brains. So how do we focus on work in our home environment?
Here are a few tips to improve your productivity while working at home:
#1 – AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Stating the obvious? Maybe. But working from home comes with a long list of distractions that do not exist in an office environment. Cue the screaming children! Distractions come in many forms, depending on your situation. One thing we know for sure is that working from the dining room is far too close to the snack drawer.
To stay focused with your daily objectives, find a dedicated space that allows you to focus for longer periods of time. Here are a few creative examples of curating a makeshift workspace.
#2 – REMOVE THE DESK CLUTTER
Cluttered space = cluttered brain. It may seem trivial, but that stack of bills on the corner of your desk can only stare at you for so long before you start to think about it. Get rid of items that can cause distraction like that old coffee mug, the picture frame that fell from the wall and suddenly you’ll feel like you have control again.
Take the time at the end of your day to remove these things so that you can start your day with a clean desk, and more importantly, a clear head.
P.S. Keep your My Big Idea Planner nearby to keep track of those distractions and take action.
#3 – STORE AWAY YOUR WORK ITEMS AT THE END OF THE DAY
When your home becomes your office the odds of misplacing your work materials increases exponentially. Nobody wants to start their day searching for a pen or your notes from the day before. If we had a dollar for every time someone said, “One sec, let me find my notes” on a video call...
Keeping a designated “work box” for loose items that you need to find easily but that do not clutter your workspace. This is a great way to stay organized, with the added benefit of being able to set aside your workday and create space for after work life. Keep this box on a shelf or stored away during the evening to keep your home feeling like...well a home.
Here are some links to functional and stylish work storage we love.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of Blazing Agency and My Big Idea®. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.
