Why is it Harder to Focus at Home?

Working from home seems like the dream for people who’ve never had the opportunity to do so. You don’t have to wake up at crazy hours in the morning to make it to work on time after a long commute. There’s no need to dress up. And most importantly, you can spend more time with your family because you’re at home more often.

However, what they don’t tell you about working from home is that it can be challenging to focus. With all the distractions around, concentrating on the task at hand can be a lot like pulling your teeth. You’ll spend more time finishing tasks that take only a few minutes or hours at the office. But why is it so hard to focus at home while it seems like the perfect environment? Let’s find out.

You Don’t Have a Work Schedule

A work schedule goes a long way in keeping you motivated and focused on what you’re doing. However, most people who work from home try to wing it, and this is where things go downhill. If you’ve noticed you have a lot of work piling up and you’re barely accomplishing anything in a day, a schedule may help.

Create a priority list every day and check off things after doing them. When you do this, you’ll be motivated to check off even more things. What’s more, you’ll know how to keep track of your progress.

Don’t be too hard on yourself when you go against your schedule. It will happen. The goal is to do as much as possible to ensure you’re not lagging behind on important projects.

You Don’t Have a Work-Friendly Workspace

There are numerous places you can work from at home. You can work in bed, on the couch, at the kitchen counter, and anywhere else you feel comfortable. However, if you don’t pick your workplace wisely, you may have trouble focusing.

Think about it. Your couch and bed may be cozy, but how comfortable will you be working there? Your posture won’t be the best, and you’ll probably be tempted to sleep or watch TV. High traffic areas in your home may also come with multiple distractions that make it impossible to concentrate.

Therefore, if you don’t have a designated workplace, consider setting one up. You don’t have to have a full-on office. All you need is an ergonomic or comfortable chair and a desk. Ensure the set up is in a quiet room where you can focus on your work.

There are Plenty of Distractions

When you’re working from home, you have to deal with a plethora of distractions, especially if you have kids. The kids will want to play, hang out with you, and do their everyday activities without a care in the world.

If you don’t have enough space, working in such an environment is almost impossible. But it’s doable. Below are some of the common distractions and how to deal with them:

• Children: Find something to keep them busy when you’re trying to work and ensure they have adult supervision. This way, they’re less likely to bother you when you’re working.
• Social media: One look at your favorite social sites can send you into the deep world web. Before you know it, you’ve lost hours you could have used on more productive activities. Keep your phone and other electronic gadgets away or turned off when you’re trying to work.
• House chores: You’ll be tempted to do house chores when you’re supposed to be working, especially if the house is a mess. To avoid this, designate a specific time of your day to chores. Also, avoid using break time to finish household chores because doing so will only mess with your focus and productivity.

There can be many more distractions while working from home. I’ve written a huge list of ways to avoid them in this article.

You Have No Boundaries

People generally assume individuals who work from home don’t have much to do. In fact, most people don’t take the job seriously. As a result, it’s not uncommon to get invitations to go out or friends popping into your house unannounced. When this happens, your workflow is ruined, and you have to cater to them, which makes completing tasks harder.

If this happens a lot, you should begin setting boundaries. First, understand that just because you’re working from home, doesn’t make your work less important. Let your friends and family know that you’re working and don’t want to be distracted.

Also, let them know when you’re free to hang out instead of waiting for their invitation and trying to get out of work to spend time with them. It’s also crucial to have boundaries with yourself. If you decided to spend time working, don’t let meaningless distractions take away from your working time.

There’s a Higher Likelihood of Procrastinating

When you’re working from home, it seems like you have all the time in the world. If you don’t finish that project in the morning, you’ll probably have time to complete it when your family retires to bed. This mentality can easily make things pile up. Before you know it, you have a mountain load of work you can’t complete that was manageable from the start.

And if you encounter challenges like power outages, a sick child, or any other unforeseen event with your deadlines fast approaching, it can be hard to achieve the goal. Don’t let it get to that. Procrastination can have dire effects on your business.

Begin setting deadlines for yourself and holding yourself accountable for each project you have to complete. The stricter you are on getting things done, the less you’ll have to worry about work piling up.

You’re Less Active

It’s easy to assume that someone who works at an office is less physically active compared to one who works from home because they sit or stand all day. But this isn’t the case. Individuals who work at an office take many breaks and walk a lot. They walk to lunch, to their car, and some have a long commute that involves a lot of walking.

Most people who work from home don’t move a lot. You’ll find that you only get up from your desk when you need to grab a snack or stretch your muscles after many hours of sitting. This cycle can affect your focus. 

You need to take multiple breaks and get some physical activity. You can do some light stretches or sign up for the gym before or after you have to work. This way, you get an energy boost, and your brain is rejuvenated and ready for a new day of work.

You Have No Proper Work-Life Balance

It’s easy to assume that people who work from home have a perfect work-life balance. Because their friends and family are close by every day, separating work and personal life should be easier, right? Wrong. In most cases, individuals who work from home have the hardest time achieving a perfect work-life balance.

Most people work longer than they should because there’s no set time to clock out. As a result, they find that they’re mostly working and barely spending time on other things that matter. To avoid this, set a time to start and clock off. Stick to it and ensure you don’t do any work when you’re not supposed to.

Final Thoughts

Working from can be extremely challenging if you don’t have your priorities and boundaries straight. If you’re struggling to focus, identify what makes it hard to concentrate and try the tips in this article. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll soon notice an improvement in your productivity.