17 Ways To Stay Focussed While Working From Home
Mindset and Productivity

17 Ways To Stay Focused While Working From Home

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17 Ways to Stay Focused While Working From Home

This post is a personal one as it comes from experience!

It can help anyone, but will be especially helpful to my fellow neurodivergent readers.

My focus can be shocking to non-existent at times.

Like, really really bad!

No matter how much I want to do something, I sometimes just cannot get my head to focus.

On anything!

We all have our wants and reasons for doing things, but that doesn’t mean we can all automatically focus when we need it.

I’ve compiled a list of things that have helped me.

They are by no means miracle workers, but may just help you get some focus!

These aren’t in a specific order, just ideas that may help you!

Here’s my list of 17 ways to stay focused while working from home:

 

1 – Put Bouncy Running Shoes On

This tip is first as it’s one of my favourites.

Good old fashioned brain trickery!

I personally find that having a pair of bouncy running shoes on, inside the house can make the world of a difference!

People don’t always like wearing shoes inside the house, which is totally cool, you can just skip this one!

I’m not talking about mucky old dog-walking trainers.

More the sort you would wear to the gym.

Imagine that feeling of being a little kid, getting brand new shoes and suddenly having that feeling that you can run really fast.

It’s like that! 

But for the brain.

With “running” shoes on, you will automatically feel less inclined to relax, and keeping your mind “on the go” may just work wonders for you too!

If you have trouble staying focused, try it, you never know how well it may work.

 

2 – Get some Exercise Outside

There are a couple of tips here that will take a little more effort to do.

Sometimes you may feel up to them, other times not.

This is one of those tips.

If you can’t get yourself to get out for a walk, try an indoor workout!

If you can though, going outside for a walk/some exercise can feel amazing.

It can get the endorphins going and getting fresh air into your lungs, and give you that boost to keep the momentum going when you get back inside.

If you’re finding you can’t focus due to having too much on your mind, a long walk in fresh air may just be the thing to help.

Even lay out clothes the night before, so they are ready to go!

Leaving yourself with fewer decisions at the time can be the difference between doing something or not! Having your clothes laid out the evening before is one less decision for the next morning.

 

3 – Happy/Good Feeling Songs

No matter your music preference, we all have those songs that give us a boost.

Find the ones you love to sing to, dance to, or just get a boost of serotonin from – you will know the ones.

Putting these songs on while working may help to focus your mind enough to get some good concentration in! 

I personally can find music alone isn’t always enough to keep my focus going while working, but a couple of the tunes on before starting can set me up well!

There is one way where music/those feel good tunes can absolutely work for me though…

 

4 – Noise Cancelling Headphones

When I found out I was neurodivergent, I was recommended some noise cancelling headphones to help with focusing.

They help.

So much.

More than I expected!

I wanted a reasonably priced pair as I wasn’t sure they would work, so even on a budget you can get some amazing quality headphones.

The ones I got are no longer available but these ones are the closest I can find to the style, rating and price of the ones I got!

 

If I’m really struggling to focus at all, my noise cancelling headphones are an absolute godsend.

Chuck them on, good tunes on, and I can usually get my head to focus on whatever it is I’m trying to focus on!

 

5 – Caffeine

This one probably isn’t the best tip, and may be controversial, but, caffeine.

To be clear – I’m talking about coffee – not energy drinks!!

Now I’m not saying to have 14 coffees in a day, but having a strong coffee at a time when you need to focus, may work wonders. 

Even if I’m not tired, having a coffee can really help kick my brain into gear and get my focus going.

Not the ideal solution, but realistic! 

I find it helps – in moderation of course!

 

6 – Have Multiple Goals On the Go at Once

I have a tendency to get discouraged if things either don’t go to plan, or if progress is slow.

My patience with myself/things I’m working on, can be shocking lol.

If I was working on one goal at a time, and that one goal was either not progressing, or was progressing slowly, I would get discouraged.

When discouragement sets in, the motivation and focus disappears.

We can combat this by having multiple goals on the go, all progressing at the same time!

This way if one isn’t moving too quickly, we have a few to focus on, which in turn keeps spirits up.

When our spirits are up, we are a lot more likely to be able to focus and carry on working towards those goals.

I would advise picking at least 3 goals to be working on simultaneously so that you still see progress even if some are slow progress!

 

7 – Create a Structured Day/Week

I love a planner but for my daily work tasks the best method I’ve found is to make a checklist sheet for the whole working week.

Now this may be different for you depending on your working situation.

For me with the blog, I can choose which to do on what days (to a point).

As with the lack of patience above, I can also get overwhelmed if I feel there is too much to do in what feels like no time.

What we don’t want to do is get to that point of feeling overwhelmed. 

But things still need to be done!

I created a sheet with all weekly tasks on, broken up into days, but all as check box tasks.

This way if I really can’t get my focus to kick in for a specific task (it happens), then I pick a different one from one of the other days.

Complete that one.

Tick that one off instead.

When it comes to that task to be completed (but already is), I pick the one from the first day I couldn’t focus on the first time around!

This may not work for everyone, but works well for me!

I made this quick example of the sort of sheet I use which hopefully will clarify what I mean!

This gives me things to tick off as I go, and still gets all tasks done in the week, even if the order is a little different some days.

 

Weekly to do checklist katherine mclee 17 ways to stay focused

8 – Get Your Space Sorted

Making sure your working space is set up how you like it can be a game changer.

Often we need to make the most of what we have in our current situation. Never let your current situation stop you from setting yourself up for success.

Whether your working space is a home office, or a desk in your bedroom, make your space functional, and feel like your ideal working space.

Keep that room clean, tidy and organised.

Tidy Space is a Tidy Mind!

Get yourself some desk decor, and have a “focus zone”, with whatever sort of setup you find inspires you and helps you focus.

Here’s some examples of things I have/have had on mine!

 

Light up Humidifier

 

Motivational Cards

 

Multicoloured Moon Light

 

Headphone holder with USB ports

 

Light up Keyboard

(Unsure how long the keyboard will last as it does feel a bit like a budget keyboard, but the lights are so colourful and bright and there’s loads of colour/light options so I love it! For the price you really can’t go wrong.)

UPDATE: That keyboard is a great budget option but in all honesty wasn’t the best fit for me with typing so much, so I splurged a bit and bought this one and the difference is world’s apart! If you are a serious typer/type for a living, definitely check this one out!

 

 

Having a space you enjoy being in, that you can feel both calm and inspired in, really can work wonders.

If my working space is messy, I have no urge to work!

Make it cute and personalised to what you like.

You’re making your dreams come true, so make it somewhere special to be!

 

9 – Atmosphere

Following on from the above, the feel of the room/work space is so important.

For me that means a space that is clean and tidy, organised, cosy and full of lights.

Like full.

I have so many things that light up and it just gives me serotonin.

As mentioned above I have the humidifier, the moon lamp and my new keyboard.

What I didn’t mention were all the rest and all the ones around this room.

There’s something about fairy lights and multicoloured lights that just makes me happy.

When I’m happy, I find it so much easier to stay focused.

Win Win!

As the winter rolls in, I’m aware I can become somewhat lacking in motivation at times, and this perks me up.

Whatever it is that perks you up – do that!

If you want to make everything in your space purple and glittery – do that!

You may want your entire desktop to be made up of photos under a glass top – if so, do that!

If you want 167 plants in your working room – do this!

Do what makes you happy and makes you feel focused and motivated.

The feel of your work space is just as – if not more important – than what it looks like.

 

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10 – Get “Dressed” for the Day

You will absolutely have heard this before.

Dress how you want to feel.

Does this work?

Yes.

Is this easier said than done?

Also yes.

This one goes along with tip number 2 about going out for a walk.

Some days it just won’t happen.

If you are really struggling to find the focus though, I would seriously give this one a try.

Dressing how you want to dress, to fit whichever style you are going for, is a powerful thing.

Putting on a certain outfit can give you the mental inspiration to be able to focus.

I don’t get dressed up to work every day (I’m working on it lol), but on the days I do I definitely do notice a difference in how I feel.

 

11 – Smell Good

A super quick way to make yourself feel good is putting on a perfume.

Perfume itself may not make you focus, but will make you feel good!

As I mentioned before, feeling good is often closely linked to being able to focus.

Whether you can face/have the time to get “dressed up” or not, perfume takes just seconds.

Even leave a favourite bottle on your desk so it’s ready when you are!

Perfume can really boost your mood.

This is always a good thing!

It doesn’t have to be an expensive fragrance, just one you like! 

 

12 – Get Yourself the Right Temperature

This one sounds odd – I know lol.

Turns out, I don’t work/focus well if I’m cold!

My brain likes things to “feel right” for me to be able to focus and be at my most productive.

Turns out temperature can play a huge part in getting our brains in gear to focus on work.

Too hot, we can feel lethargic.

Too cold, we want to shut down and cuddle up.

Neither of which are great if you’re trying to get yourself to focus!

I live in the UK so it’s not often “too hot” here, but here’s some ideas on what can help if you’re too cold.

My three go-to items to get myself up to the right temperature are these:

Wheat bag

 

 

Hot water bottle for your feet

 

 

Electric blanket

 

I also have arm warmers which do work to keep me warm and still allow me to type!

The ones I got aren’t great quality though so not linking those! 

The electric blanket is a little pricier than the other 2 options but is magical if you get cold easily!

I have the one listed above, I just pop it on and it keeps me so cosy while at my desk!

Getting yourself to a comfortable temperature can be crucial for being the most productive.

Your brain is a lot more likely to focus if you feel comfortable and feel good.

 

13 – Do Chores First

When trying to focus, you may find it easier to focus on one thing, if you aren’t thinking about doing another.

If you have any chores/errands you want to do, try doing these first.

Obviously home and work life doesn’t always permit this – but it can help!

As mentioned earlier, I don’t work well in a messy space.

I find tidying the space the night before/first thing can set myself up for the day.

Same would go for if I needed to run to the Post Office or vacuum the house.

If I leave things like this on my to-do list, I find myself “waiting” to do them.

Getting them done and out the way first, frees up brain space to allow myself to properly focus!

This may not work for you, but I wanted to share it as I know it definitely helps me.

 

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14 – Stay Hydrated

We all know to stay hydrated!

The question is, do we actually do it?

We should! 

Staying hydrated is so important.

It will help you feel refreshed and awake. 

It will also help you focus, as you will feel more alert and less groggy.

You may end up peeing a lot, but it’s worth it to keep your brain awake and your body hydrated!

Grab a 2 litre bottle, fill it in the morning and your entire water intake for the day is in one place!

This is the one I use (correct on December 2022) – it’s huge but reminds me to drink as it has little quotes on to keep you going!

 

 

15 – Get a Planner That You Love

Planners.

I love planners.

Planners are such a personal thing, and it can be hard finding the right one that works for you.

You need one that will inspire you, that you love to fill out, and that has everything you need.

I’ll link mine for anyone curious but planners are so personal, this style may not work for you!

This is my current one! 

(Dec 2022)

 

I got the Navy one!

I’ve tried so many planners and it can take a few goes to get one that’s right for you, but is so worth it.

If you are arty you can absolutely make it into a work of art too! 

A planner will not only keep you on track, but makes it easy to lay out exactly what you want to accomplish that day.

It also can keep track of other tasks coming up, so you don’t feel overwhelmed if you have lots of ideas and plans bouncing about in your head!

If you love pen and paper as opposed to a digital planner, I would highly recommend getting yourself one that suits you and your needs.

If you’re like me, the perfect planner will make a huge difference!

 

16 – Find Quick Systems That Speed Up Processes

One of the perks of struggling with focus (if perks is even the right word), is that you can find quicker/more streamlined ways of doing things which gets the job done quicker! 

I personally can’t always face tasks that I know in advance are going to take a lot of time or focus.

That’s partly why I learned how to write a blog post in one hour! 

Read that post here.

Finding ways to complete tasks in a short amount of time has been key to my productivity.

One of my bigger examples is Pinterest pins!

I will make an entire post on this in the fairly near future for anyone wanting to speed up their Pinterest pinning/scheduling speed. 

Scheduling pinterest pins for the week in advance used to take me hours and hours.

Now I’ve created a way to get 2 weeks worth of pins scheduled in just one 2 hour slot.

For context, I pin 5 fresh pins, every single day.

This is my Pinterest profile if you want to check it out!

Finding systems that work for you which speed up your daily/weekly tasks, helps a lot. 

These systems will be different depending on your needs and website niche.

It’s finding those systems that will make your life a lot easier!

It’s a hell of a lot easier putting your headphones on and focusing for a 2 hour stint than trying to focus on one task for hours and hours on end!

That may happen sometimes.

But, if you’re like me, that’s not the best way to get things done if you struggle with focus!

 

17 – Try and Keep Stress to a Minimum

I’ve left this one to last as it can be one of the hardest to do.

It is also one of the biggest factors in productivity and being able to focus on any given task!

Stress is so bad for the body, as well as the mind.

Some things in life are stressful and we can’t always get away from those.

What may be possible though is cutting down on the minor stresses.

Even minor stresses can add up and can make things feel overwhelming.

My ability to focus can be fairly non-existent if I feel overly stressed.

Here’s a task to try to cut down the stress in your life:

Write down everything that you feel is causing you stress.

Take an objective look at the list as to which ones you can change to lower your stress levels. 

 

Are you able to eliminate some completely?

Can you work on some others so that they aren’t as stressful anymore?

Could you adopt a new mindset to help with any?

 

Practising self care is so important, if not only to deal with the minor stresses in daily life.

You may find that being able to lower your daily life stress – even a little – makes a big difference in your ability to focus.

I really hope some of these tips help  you to be a little more focused!

What are some other tips you use to help you focus when you need it?

If you find any of the above help – let me know!

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

 

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