​We all must deal with distractions. Working remotely adds a different level of complications. Not only are you expected to keep up with work tasks, but you also have a home to keep clean, meals to cook, and other duties, except it is all under one roof. Having the television nearby is a temptation to handle as well.
 
Those who navigate the world of working remotely quickly learn how to mitigate distractions and focus on their jobs. 

• ​Have a Designated Workspace: Ideally, your office would be a separate room with a door. If you do not have a room you can use, consider a corner in another area, not your bedroom, and get creative with a curtain or a pretty bed sheet. The barrier keeps others from accessing you easily.

1. Put Your Phone on “Do Not Disturb”: Those smartphones are a deep well of distractions. Social media and email notifications easily keep you from your work. To ensure you receive the calls you genuinely want, you can set your phone to allow only those calls to reach you while blocking all others.

1. Learn to Take Your Time Responding to Emails: If you are head down in a project and an email pops through, resist the urge to answer right away. Develop a system to answer messages without interrupting your work mojo. Try to read and respond to messages about twice an hour. For example, you can work for 25 minutes, check email for five, work for another 25, and then recheck email.

1. Keep Housework and Chores to After Hours: Use your commute time for quick chores, and when it is time to get to work, pretend you are not at home and cannot see the dirty dishes sitting in the sink. You can make a game of it by setting a timer for the length of time of your commute and seeing how much you can accomplish. You might be surprised, and you reduce the distractions.

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1. Learn to Delegate: For some, we pride ourselves on being able to do it all – work, make dinner, bathe the kids. If you want to get the most accomplished while working remotely, let go and let others step in, fold clothes, play with kids, or do dishes.

​Working remotely can be a tremendous success when you learn how to avoid distractions that threaten your day.

Different studies indicate that remote workers are highly productive. What makes them get more done sitting at home, the diner, or the library? They understand that being productive outside of the typical office environment requires proactive steps. They don’t have their manager physically checking in to ensure they are getting their work done.

If you can work offsite, such as at home, you will quickly learn that staying productive is hard. You will have distractions around you, like that stack of dirty dishes from last night that is still sitting in the sink.

• ​Establish Priorities: Start by discussing things with your manager. You might believe completing a specific responsibility is the most important, but your boss thinks differently. Once you know what is expected, then you can be sure to accomplish it.

• Determine Your Best Work Time: This goes with the night owl versus morning person premise. Working remotely means you have greater flexibility. If you focus better at 8 p.m. when your toddler is in bed, do it. It is the same idea for morning lovers. You don’t have to wait until 9 AM to get started. The goal is to find large blocks of quiet time for those projects that require concentration.

• Set a Timer and Do Deep Work: It will be much easier if you set a timer for 45 minutes and focus on one task. After the timer goes off, get up and walk around the house, grab some water, and stretch for 15 minutes. The key is to know how to manage your time.

• Set Boundaries: If you have others in the house when you work, you will continually get interrupted. Start by setting physical boundaries, such as working from a different room or putting up a room partition around your desk area. Next, talk with your partner and family about how important it is not to disrupt you when you are “at work.”

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• Overcommunicate: It may seem counter-intuitive to spend extra time communicating when sending both emails and Slack messages, but the text can be misconstrued. This causes frustration and may slow the progress of a project. Ensure you continually communicate with your team and set up video calls to clear up any miscommunication.

​Impress your teammates and your manager when you take productivity to a new level. Soon, you will be the star of the show and enjoy all the perks of working remotely.

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
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How to Stay Motivated While Working From Home
https://www.market-connections.net/blog/how-to-stay-motivated-while-working-from-home
 
Using Tools to Measure Your Goals
https://www.market-connections.net/blog/using-tools-to-measure-your-goals
 
Tools for Working and Managing Remotely
https://www.market-connections.net/blog/tools-for-working-and-managing-remotely