3 Ways to Stay Focused while Working from Home

This year, many of us have had to adapt to working from home; turning our kitchen counters and dining tables into office desks, and relying on Zoom to communicate with colleagues. While some people enjoy the benefits of remote working (who doesn’t like to work in PJs?), others may find it difficult to focus on work with the distractions of kids, pets, or household chores at home. 

Here at Side by Side, we believe that the first step to decluttering your mind is to declutter your physical space. An organized work station will help you focus on the task in front of you, and not the mess around you. Here are a few tips to help you concentrate while you WFH.  

1. Organize your office supplies/ tech gadgets in one place

It’s important to have a dedicated workstation at home, and you don’t need a large area for this, you just need to organize your office essentials in one spot. Lay out all the items you may need: earphones, chargers, cables, notepad, pen, maybe even earplugs (in case of renovation next door or kids playing in the background); then put them all together in a dedicated pouch or container. Our Power Packer is a great solution for this - it’s got multiple compartments and elastic straps to keep your different work accessories organized so you can find everything at a glance. 

2. Stay hydrated (within reach)

When you take a break to grab a glass of water in the kitchen, it’s tempting to clean the dirty dishes sitting in the sink or to grab another chocolate bar for a snack. While it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, don’t let that become an interruption for you. Instead, keep a water bottle or a pitcher within your reach to minimize the number of times you need to stop your work and get up for a drink. We love to make a large pitcher of lemon water in the morning to kick off the day with a refreshing note. 

3. Turn off notifications 

This might be an obvious tip but it’s easier said than done! We’re so used to getting alerts on our mobile devices that we don’t realize how distracting they can be for our mind. Resist the temptation to check your phone by turning on the airplane mode when you need to really concentrate. This way you can focus on whatever’s in front of you, whether it’s finishing up a presentation or listening to an important client call. That new Instagram post from your sister can definitely wait for your attention later.