Staying focused while working from home

[Anonymous]

I know so many people who love working from home - they say they are much more focused and productive. I WFH once or twice a month and I'm anything from productive. So far today I have cleaned the bathroom, done three loads of laundry and made myself a giant lunch. As far as work goes, I have checked my email a bunch of times but that's about it. If it matters, for work space, I use the dining room table - not ideal but we have no room for a dedicated office space.

I'm going to be paying for this tomorrow when I go back to the office and have a ton of catching up to do. Plus unless i stay up late and work after the kids go to bed, I'm going to end up billing about half of today to PTO, which I really would rather save for a real vacation. Help! How can I be more productive on the occasional WFH day?

[Anonymous]

It's impossible. I'm supposed to be working right now!!!

[Anonymous]

Why are you not productive at home? What is different about your home office from your traditional work office?

[Anonymous]

A dedicated office space is key!

[Anonymous]

There's no laundry, dirty bathrooms or fully stocked kitchen in my traditional office

[Anonymous]

You are lazy and need to be surpervised. Save the wfh for people who don't need a nanny watching them.

How do people focus? Because they are professionals with a job to do. Go back to your cube cage and then you will be able to focus. Don't ruin for the people who actually have a brain that doesn't require a boss to turn it on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no laundry, dirty bathrooms or fully stocked kitchen in my traditional office

You need to be more focused on work if you WFH. But you know that already. Perhaps this arangement isn't the best for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are lazy and need to be surpervised. Save the wfh for people who don't need a nanny watching them.

How do people focus? Because they are professionals with a job to do. Go back to your cube cage and then you will be able to focus. Don't ruin for the people who actually have a brain that doesn't require a boss to turn it on.

Yikes! Don't worry, I won't ruin it for the "professionals" like you. As I said, I'm going to be charging the uncorked time to PTO. I may be lazy and unmotivated but I'm not dishonest or unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes when I get that way it is because there's a task I don't want to start and the laundry seems easier to tackle. I don't know what kind of work you do, but for me it helps to have an outside deadline to drive me, or to make a list of things I have to finish. I try to start with the easier ones so I get in the work groove. I work for myself so I am the only one who wins or loses depending on how productive I am. GL

[Anonymous]

Literally don't let yourself get out of your seat. For whatever reason, that worked for me.

[Anonymous]

Two key things:

1. During the days prior to your WFH day, make a list of tasks that you are going to accomplish on that day. The amount/value of work should be equivalent to what you do in a day at the office. Make sure you bring home any materials or phone numbers you may need. Then, on your WFH day, sit down and complete those tasks just like you would in the office.

2. Fix in your head the fact you are at work for the day. Do you clean the bathroom at your office, even when it's filthy? No, because you are there to do something else. Treat your WFH day like any other day at the office, including packing a lunch the night before (yes, I'm serious: I do this for my twice-weekly telework days), keeping regular start and break times, having child care arrangements in place, etc. Don't do anything during your working hours that you would not do from your office.

Bottom line: the main benefits of working from home are avoiding the commute, focusing on work that needs "quiet time," and maybe being available to sign for a package or take 30 minutes off to deal with a repairman. The point is not to squeeze in household chores between emails, and the people who try to do so really do give the practice a bad name no matter how honestly they bill their time.

[Anonymous]

I work at the dining room table too, once a week. I sit down, write out a to-do list, and just go from task to task. Without my to-do list I would probably aimlessly wander around the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A dedicated office space is key!

I agree. I work from home 90% of the time, and spend workdays in my dedicated home office. In the morning I get ready for work as everyone does, and at 8AM I go to my office. I work all morning, walk the dog at lunch, grab a quick bite, then back to my office until about 6PM.

I do throw in the occasional load of laundry, sometimes fold during a conference call, but on the whole I do not do home stuff on working days.

[Anonymous]

Planning! Plan specific, discrete projects to be completed on the at-home days. For me personally, those are the best days for concentrated writing and things I am excited about working on. The day before a work-at-home day, set the stage by cleaning up the area and visual distractions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are lazy and need to be surpervised. Save the wfh for people who don't need a nanny watching them.

How do people focus? Because they are professionals with a job to do. Go back to your cube cage and then you will be able to focus. Don't ruin for the people who actually have a brain that doesn't require a boss to turn it on.

LOLZ. So true!