For those working at home, how do you manage to focus for eight hours a day?

[LePetitLarousse]

Hi, I realise the irony of posting this here, but I´m desperate. I work at home and sit in front of a laptop all day. I realise how much time I spend wondering off to twitter or MN.

I´ve tried Pomodoro timers, I have a clean desk, I´ve tried calm music, no music, but I think I really struggle to work as much as I should. I´ve no boss looking over me, and so if I have a deadline, I end up working into the evening to finish something off I could have done by 5-6pm.

Any tips please?

Give yourself lots of rewards!

• Clear emails and check list for the day - then you can step away and have a cuppa

• Work on project x for 1 or 2 hours, then step away

• Etc!

It's not easy, took me ages to get into a rhythm of working from home but you soon get into a good flow. Now I struggle on days when I'm in an office.

Also, if you're using your phone to check Facebook, MN, etc, then move your phone downstairs (or upstairs if you work downstairs). You then have to make an effort to go and get it, instead of having it right in front of you.

Tell yourself that your boss closely monitors your internet usage, so you can't use your laptop browser for non-work stuff.

I too often work from home. I never work for more than 2 hours straight (again at a computer) before taking at least 15 minutes break, whether its to put the washing on or play with the cats. I remind myself that in a workplace I would never go longer than that without a break because colleagues would chat etc.

I also found it easy to be distracted in the beginning so for the first few weeks Id make a careful note of when I started work, all the distractions I had and how long the distractions took. It was quite alarming to realise how much time I spent simply faffing! I also second the suggestion of going somewhere where there are very few distractions eg a spare bedroom. We’re lucky enough to have a summer house so in the summer Id go and work there.

Just remember you’re saving a huge amount of time you’d otherwise spend travelling so youre probably getting more done anyway.

ACtually thinking about my putting on the washing suggestion above, thinking about it, it isn’t a good idea - this is your working day. You wouldn’t nip home from the office at coffee break (or whatever) to put on the washing. You’d have a complete break. So do so at home.

I too am right this minute staring at my work laptop but my excuse is that I’m in the middle of my first caffeine fix of the day and as it’s a work laptop they wouldn’t be impressed with coffee all over it! This tablet I’m using is my own so I’d only have myself to shout at! (And anyway Ive already had to have one work laptop replaced because I spilt red wine on it!)

Put your phone in a different room if possible; if not, turn it upside down.

Make yourself do sprints of work and then reward yourself with a cuppa/walk/break.

If little home-related jobs occur to you (washing, checking banking etc) write them down for later and then don't let them take up anymore headspace.

Try and imagine all the people currently in their offices working away –channel that energy!

If all else fails and you have a laptop, take it to a cafe or library. There's something about the buzz of people that helps me concentrate! You can also search "office noise" on YouTube, which I occasionally play while I'm working. It's surprisingly effective!

Thanks for the advice. I've been quite productive this morning. i've just had lunch and I'm going to see if I can keep it up this afternoon.

Glad it's going well! Your post actually reminded me of the YouTube office noise, which has seen me power through work this morning, so thank you!

You can get browser extensions that block sites for certain amounts of time.m, try installing one of those?

with pomodoros are you making sure you take a break between each one and do something completely different? A walk around the block, get away from your desk then come back and start a new one.

If possible, get out of the house to work - less distractions.

I always find a bit of repetitive dancey music helps me power through.

I have short deadlines - for my previous job I had to carry out a weekly project which had a deadline so I had to get the work done; in my current job I generally have to turn around queries within 24 hours. So when I am busy it's head down.

When I'm not, I wander off and might put the washing on the line etc.

I try to take a proper lunchbreak even if it's just a walk into town to buy one small thing I don't really need like a bag of carrots just to get out of the house!

I have to carry my phone around with me though because I am a one person helpline, so sometimes people call although I tell the office when I am on lunch. Yes it has rung when I was on the loo!

I have used my local library when my internet was down at home, that worked quite well though was surprisingly noisy even in the so-called quiet study area.

Have you got enough to Do?