Eliminating Distractions at Home

Working from home is a special adventure, especially for moms. It allows mothers to still tend to children or the family in the comfort of their own living space. It provides flexibility in scheduling. It can nearly be the perfect world for some mothers. Until, distractions appear on the scene. Eliminating distractions at home is important for several reasons.

Why Eliminate Distractions?

Eliminating distractions will help you as a mom, to work more efficiently. It will help with time management as well as increasing pure focus to the task at hand. Less time will be spent dealing with the distraction, increasing time spent on work. Focus can be more pure, and thoughts more organized, when working in an atmosphere that is free from disruptions. It is something that all moms will need to contend with at some point and time.
Eliminating Distractions from Friends

Friends can be wonderful, but they can also be a distraction. This is especially true when you are trying to work from home. Friends in the same neighborhood realize that you are home all the time. They may not have to work, at the times you are trying to work. In this situation, it is important to set up boundaries with them. Let them know that you are working. This may have to be stressed to them several times. It may even be necessary for you to quit answering the door and their phone calls. If you want to be successful at what you are doing, then you need to be firm. If they are truly friends, they will understand.

Eliminating Distractions from Family

Families can also bring disturbances to the work from home job opportunity. With family, it is sometimes harder to eliminate the distractions. Depending on the personal circumstance, several things may help to decrease the interruptions. Discuss as a family how the work opportunity differs when it goes smoothly compared to when it does not. Search for unique ways to decrease distractions that will help with your personal needs. Here are some thoughts and tips that may help:

1. Choose a quiet time to work if possible. For some mothers, this will be a few hours before the children are up. For other moms, it will be after the children go to school.
2. Discuss rules with the children. This will allow them to gain understanding in expectations with the new home adjustment. For younger children, it may be needed to cover the rules several times.
3. Use a do not disturb sign on your door. Discuss with the family, the only exceptions that are allowed to the rule. You can also place a sign on your front door if needed.
4. Turn off the radio and television. Move away from noise, if possible. This will help with focusing on the task at hand.
5. Set times for breaks and stick to it, as much as possible. For some individuals who sit for long periods of time, a 10 minute break is scheduled every hour. Watch the time and commit to getting right back to work after a quick stretch.
6. Organize your workspace. Eliminate the need to get up and down to find “things.” This is such a time consumer when done on a regular basis. Also, have a bottle of water available to sip on. In the winter, have your lip balm there, or lotion. It may sound crazy, but how many times have you went to find your lip balm and took 20 minutes finding it because your lips were chapped?
7. Keep a notepad and pen handy, or sticky computer notes. When you think of that one thing you forgot about, make a quick 5 second note.

Obviously, there are hundreds of tips that we could list. Think about your work day. What needs to be changed in the area of distractions? What is the best way to handle it for your personal needs?
Getting Rid of Unnecessary Phone Calls

Unless you are working a job opportunity that requires incoming phone calls, do not answer the phone. Allow an answering machine to pick it up for you. Phone calls that should be short in duration can turn into an hour. If you are working a job that must have incoming calls, consider a second phone number for work only. Find a plan that works best for you. It is your business and it is up to you to make it successful. Eliminating distractions is well worth it! YOU are well worth it, too!

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