If you work from home - how do you keep focused?

[Greyblind09]

I work a relatively intense job from home and by lunchtime I really struggle to maintain my motivation/ focus/ concentration. I’m not used to spending so much time looking at a screen, now all of my working day is spent on one. My job is flexible so bar a couple of hours in the morning I’m not tied to my computer, but I think that contributes to the issues aforementioned. It’s too easy to let work roll over into the evening and into early the next morning so I actually end up feeling as though I’m spending all my time either working, thinking about working or procrastinating.

Any tips would be really appreciated, thank you

I find it much easier to focus at home, than in the office.
It is peaceful.
I can choose to work in silence, or with music (and if so, which music).
I can sort the temperature / lighting / fresh air / chair height etc to suit me.

But, when I first started working from home (way before COVID) I also felt it was such a privilege I probably did a lot more at home, to make sure that privilege wasn't lost.

Structure day around meetings and lunch. If your mind starts to wander, have five mins lying on bed/looking in garden/doing a chore then back to it.

Go for a walk before work (and preferably after it and at lunchtime). Even if only round the block.

Take lunch away from your desk. If possible, work in a room you don't use in leisure time.

I'm very very similar. Motivation has been really poor ever since WFH began in lockdown.

Over the past week I've been using a Pomodoro time (app is called 'FocusPomo').

The idea is that you focus for 25 mins, then take a 5 min breaks. I take longer breaks than that but I still find that I get so much more done over the day!

I work best to a deadline and if I have a whole week to finish a task then I will leave it as long as possible. This way it creates a mentality of 'shit I only have 25 minutes'.

It's only been a week but honestly, I think this may be the key.

When I need to immerse myself in something at home I play some concentration or adhd music on YouTube on my laptop with my headphones on , it very much gets me into the zone.
Weirdly now when I'm in the office I also put them on now to drown out background chat I'm no longer used to and to focus.
Planning a walk mid day also helps.

My working hours are fixed at 9-5. I have the radio on in the background, or podcasts. I get paid , therefore I do the work. I couldn't work in an office now, listening to everyone chat, getting caught by someone who I don't like but must nod and smile politely at!