How to Stay Focused and Avoid Distractions While Working Remotely?

Remote work focus has become an increasing problem that can be mitigated by a few steps once employees and employers alike are informed. Unfortunately, the transition from onsite working to work-from-home isn’t always smooth sailing for others. 

As the world progresses so does technology. Communication has become simpler and connectivity can now be accessed all across the world. Remote working has long existed even before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s received a boost in popularity in our “new normal” life.

Work-from-home or remote working is a type of work setting wherein employees, managers, and business owners do their tasks from the comforts of their homes. This is usually done through the Internet, where communication is almost always easily accessed.

Thanks to the Internet, communicating with employees all around the world is no longer a daunting task. Companies have now begun slowly transitioning from the daily life of onsite working to the convenience of work-from-home.

But how do employees and business owners manage to stay focused and avoid the distractions around them without being at an office? Listed below are five ways to improve the focus of your employees and create a more organised structure for your new working environment.

Challenges of Maintaining Focus in a Non-traditional Office Environment

There are many delays caused by distractions during remote work. Focus is pulled away by different factors that cannot easily be ignored. It’s also difficult to change your mindset at home and shut it off once your shift is over. 

Examples of the challenges during transition are easy access to social media, household chores, family members, or other forms of technology. Even a simple bed can become a big distraction.

This is because our minds have developed a habit that a home is a place of rest and not work. While there are productivity tips that can boost your output, losing focus is a bigger problem than meets the eye.

In order to gain a sense of separation during work and play, remote workers must learn strategies that will enhance their focus and productivity without losing the fine line of work-life balance.

5 Strategies to Enhance Focus

There are many remote work tips that you can utilise to create the best chances of maximum focus while working remotely. The best way to take advantage of all these methods is to use them simultaneously to prevent any setbacks in your journey through remote working.

Setting Up a Dedicated Workspace

A home office is the perfect place to enhance your remote work focus and productivity. Consider creating a dedicated workspace within your home where you go to work without any distractions. Our minds can also benefit when using a home office, allowing us to gain the habit that when we’re in this location, work is the priority.

To create an effective workspace in your home you will first need a proper desk and an ergonomic chair. Having a desk where you can place your PC, tablet, or laptop alongside your papers and other office materials makes it easier to reach for any items you may require while working.

Meanwhile, an ergonomic chair that can support your back during your long sitting hours is crucial to increase your comfort while you maintain your work hours.

Lighting is also an important part of a workspace. Having ample lighting will allow your workspace to comfort your eyes and give you better vision while working on the task at hand. 

Lastly, ventilation is an important part of comfort and health. Having a room where there is plenty of ventilation can allow your lungs to breathe comfortably as you work throughout the day.

Time Management Techniques

Aside from a workspace, time management is also an important part of remote work focus. There are many ways to enhance your techniques in regards to time management. Not only does it prevent you from being overloaded by tasks, but it also helps prevent burnout and missed deadlines.

Time management techniques such as taking a 15-minute break every 60 minutes or using the Eisenhower method are important to master. These time management techniques can boost your productivity and help you feel less overwhelmed with your tasks.

While these techniques may be helpful, the use of time management tools such as Asana, Trello, or Monday can also be helpful with productivity. By scheduling when or what is required to be done by which employee, the communication not only gets better but also gives way to a more organised and scheduled week’s worth of work.

Taming Technology Distractions

Remote work focus is possible with fewer distractions. That includes technology used for leisure. Because remote workers can easily reach out through their gaming consoles, smartphones, or tablets, they are more susceptible to such distractions.

While technology is an important part of remote working, there are some gadgets that must never set foot inside the home office. This includes televisions, iPads, gaming consoles, and other gadgets not needed for work. 

However, it’s also difficult to resist the temptation. Some companies prefer to use monitoring tools such as Time Doctor to remind or alert their employees that the site they are visiting is unproductive. 

Take note that during breaks such as lunch or short periods, browsing through your phone or tablet is not an issue. The Internet itself isn’t always a distraction, consider timing yourself when leisurely using your gadgets to remind yourself when to begin work again.

Communication and Boundaries

Even if you have all the physical tools you need to create the ultimate remote work focus setup, it will still be difficult if there is no communication and boundaries. Productivity is always an important part of a job. However, losing the boundaries at work can cause miscommunications and delays in production.

An example of crossing boundaries is communication about work after a person’s shift ends or during their break. If an employee repeatedly works throughout the day even after their official shift ends, burnout will come to them eventually.

Meanwhile, losing communication between fellow employees and managers may risk the tasks and delivery time due to miscommunications or delayed messaging. 

To prevent such errors it’s important to remove yourself from your home office or log out of your work once your shift ends. Respond only during work hours and understand the need for socialisation amongst peers for your employees.

On the other hand, what if communication is delayed? That’s where communication channels that provide video chatting, direct messaging, tagging, and submission of documents come in. Messaging apps such as Slack, Skype, or WhatsApp are great tools to receive quick notifications that can alert all your employees or directly message them.

Video Chatting is also an important tool that is heavily utilised by Google Meets and Zoom. Prevent miscommunication by creating channels for each department and encourage quick responses.

Maintaining a Healthy Routine

While remote work focus during a shift is necessary, it can also lead to health risks and burnout if not properly balanced. Maintain a healthy body and mind by practising relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, or athletic activities.

Sleeping early is also an important part of maintaining health. Ensure quality sleep and exercise to remain energised throughout the day and not feel overloaded with work on a day-to-day basis. 

Aside from physical health, it’s also important to learn to socialise. A big issue with remote working that some face is the lack of socialisation. Remember to participate in social events with friends, and family members, and even team building exercises to continue balancing work and play in a healthy balance.

Many employees and owners, regardless of onsite or remote, tend to undermine the importance of a healthy routine. Remember that a healthy body and mind with the right nutrition and exercise can create more energy for productivity rather than overworking.

Conclusion

Remote work focus comes from maintaining habits that are productive and balanced. The tips listed above are just some of the many ways to solve any issues in a remote work setting and the troubles of employees adjusting to remote work.

Employees are the lifeblood of a company, therefore a healthy and balanced employee with enhanced focus and organisational skills can create a productive cultural environment within your company regardless of their location. 

It’s truer than before now that technology is a necessity to communicate. Thanks to advancements in technology, globalisation has created ways for people all across the globe to collaborate on business ventures. 

The time to transition into a remote work setting is now. Failure to adjust to the present may result in difficulties and setbacks that could have easily been prevented.

Learn more about remote work solutions and dive into the world of work-from-home with Remote Developer now!