Master Distractions and Interruptions at Home
By Nadja Conaghan
When you work from home, there may be some distractions and interruptions that you wouldn’t have at work. There is also no-one who will point them out to you and help them to manage.
To stay productive, motivated and focused when working home, you need to eliminate and manage distractions and interruptions appropriately.
Typical Distractions and Interruptions
There are 4 most common distractions when you work from home.
1. TECHNOLOGY AND ENTERTAINMENT
Having (fun) technology and entertainment around is very tempting. This could be our new 50 inch TV. Your mobile phone with all these great apps. Seeing the plays station in the corner of your eye, reminds you that you just bought this beautiful game that we were waiting for 2 years to be released. Or maybe you got this amazing book you want to read.
2. FAMILY MEMBERS, PARTNER; AND/OR FLATMATES
You are not alone. Everyone is home: your partner and the kids; or your flatmates. This means you may get easily interrupted and distracted.
3. HOUSEWORK AND OTHER HOME DUTIES
Laundry, mopping or doing the dishes become very important tasks that cannot wait until the weekend.
4. PETS
The best place to have a nap for your cat is either your lap or on your desk (preferably on the keyboard). Your puppy always looks at you with the biggest puppy eyes asking for a treat.
General strategies
There are some generic strategies and tricks to master almost any kind of distraction or interruption.
ELIMINATE AND REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
If the temptation is right in front of you, chances are that you won’t be able to resist for long. The solution, either remove yourself or the distraction. Out of sight, out of mind.
Remove all the distractions from your office. This could be your mobile phone or play station. Put them away - in a drawer or into a different room. When you have kids, your partner or parents may be able to look after them while you are working, so they are coming to your office interrupting and distracting you. Close the door, so your cat or dog does not come into your office.
Remove yourself. If you work with your laptop on your lap on the couch in front of the TV and the new season of your favourite Netflix show was just released, chances are won’t be able to resist. The solution, work in your office or in a different neutral place. Avoid working in your bedroom as this may impact your sleep and work-life-balance in the short and long-term.
If you cannot remove distraction or yourself from it, use the camouflage strategy. For instance, if you cannot remove your TV, you may cover it with a sheet so it is no longer “staring” at you.
MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO BE DISTRACTED
If you cannot remove it, make it at least hard to obtain or use the distraction.
For example, if your biggest distraction is your TV in your office, unplug the TV and have the remote in different room (and remove the batteries and put them in a drawer in another room).
If you use your personal mobile phone for work, disable all notifications for the “distracting apps” and only have the essential apps on your first screen, i.e. Facebook and Instagram are on the next page (preferably stored it in “Social” folder). The idea is that you make it a bit harder to open the app as it requires multiple swipes and clicks to get there.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT
Psychology and classic conditioning might do the trick.
Reward yourself with your distraction. Make the distraction a reward and something meaningful that you “worked for”. For example, reward yourself with an episode of your favourite Netflix show after work or on your lunch-break.
Punishment. Make giving into the distraction unattractive and punish yourself. For example, every time you check out Facebook, immediately put physically a dollar into a jar. Do not delay the punishment and make the punishment meaningful.
SCHEDULES, ROUTINES, RULES AND SELF-DISCIPLINE
Having a plan and rules in place, help to be prepared for, eliminate and manage distractions.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Plan all your activities - work-related and personal. Schedule (5 min) breaks where you allow yourself to indulge the distractions, e.g. when check Facebook and for how long.
DO NOT DISTURB. To avoid interruptions you may put a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on your closed office door. You can also agree on other signs, such as “closed door” or a tie on the door knob.
Share your schedule with others at home. Share your schedule with others, so they know when you should not be interrupted.
Plan together. Plan together, to avoid conflicts of appointments or fight over the quiet office. If appropriate, also line up lunch breaks.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION
There will be times when you give into the distraction. That is totally okay. Be kind to yourself and move forward.
Stop and acknowledge.
Forgive yourself.
Remove/ manage the distraction.
Move on and continue with what you (are supposed to) do.
MAKE THE DISTRACTION WORK FOR YOU: EMBRACE IT AND MAKE IT A PART OF WORK
You might not be able to control and reason with your kids nor your fur babies. Ethically speaking, locking your children and pets away is not okay. Also, if your lock your cat or dog away, they might protest loudly (preferably when you are in a conference call) and may also take their frustration onto your furniture or garden.
The best strategy here may be to make them part of what you do.
Why not embracing your personal office cat or your puppy as foot warmer?
Children love to be included, so why not making them your personal assistants and give them something to do? Why not let them create the do not disturb sign?
Summary
When working from home, you will encounter numerous distractions and interruptions that may be very different from what you experience when working in the office. It is all about finding strategies that work for you to eliminate and manage these distractions in order for having a productive and enjoyable day at work.
