Tips for staying productive and concentrating when WFH.

[JamesZebra]

I am struggling a bit. I really like working from home as it gives me a much better work/home life balance but it also comes with some issues.
I live in a tiny house so I have to work from the kitchen table. It makes it quite hard to switch off at the end of the day. I also find there are loads of distractions. I am finding it really hard to stay focused. I have a lot of other stuff going on in life at the mo which has massively effected my mood and it is also having an impact on my ability to concentrate on work. Right now all I want to do is sleep. I am mentally shattered. I have things I need to get done for work today and I feel unable to do them (not because I am incapable, I just don't have the mental capacity) yesterday was the same. Somewhere along the line someone will notice I am being a bit crap at the mo and I don't want to get in trouble. My manager is away at the mo so I can't approach him and I am also fed up of always being the one on my team who has stuff going on that effects their work so really I need to figure something out myself and put it in place pronto. I can easily catch up on the things that I need to get done. I just can't get focused with all the other stuff going on.

It sounds as if there are two issues here:

I have a lot of other stuff going on in life at the mo which has massively effected my mood and it is also having an impact on my ability to concentrate on work. Right now all I want to do is sleep. I am mentally shattered.

This suggests you are in a mental state where it would be difficult for you to concentrate on work even if you were not WFH. Do you have support to cope with these issues? Have you tried speaking to your GP (I know that's difficult at the moment).

I live in a tiny house so I have to work from the kitchen table. It makes it quite hard to switch off at the end of the day. I also find there are loads of distractions.

These are the issues specifically with WFH. I would suggest -

• Make sure you pack up your work stuff at the end of the working day, and switch off computer/work phone.
• Is there something you can do to mentally draw a line between work and home - e.g. as soon as your working day finishes, go out for a walk after work, take a bath or shower, do some exercise, go to the supermarket?

What are the distractions? Have you looked at ways of eliminating them? You need to go into 'do not disturb' mode to other members of your household (if there are any), callers at the door, callers to your personal phone etc.

Thank you for your reply- I have spoken to my GP and have been referred for counselling but there is a huge waiting list. I have already been on it for nearly a year and still haven't received news of an appointment.
On the whole I have been much better and have done lots of work to improve my moods. I have really bad PMS this month and it has compounded the awful low feelings too. I know it will pass in a few days but I am worried about my work load. Plus the other issues which effect my mood (MH of other family members) is not going anywhere fast so I am stuck with it continuing to drain me.

With regards to the other issue I could definitely try something like that.

oh and with regards to what is distracting me.....it could be anything from cutting my nails to googling stuff to playing with the cat. I have dyslexia which makes my concentration pants at the best of times. I have tried chunking my workload - so breaking it down into about 30 min blocks and then allowing myself a bit of distraction afterwards which was working but this week its not.

Yes, waiting lists for NHS counselling are terrible . Does your employer offer anything - I know where I work there's a free counselling service for employees, but I work for quite a big company.

Breaking down your work and allowing yourself a micro-break sounds like a good idea, it's a shame it hasn't worked this week but don't give up on it.

It's easy when you've had a couple of bad days to then write off the whole week and think it's not even worth trying to be productive, but you have to try and treat each day as a 'fresh start.

I shut my cats out of my working space - could you try that, or will your cat scratch your door to pieces? Or you could make playing with your cat a 'reward' after 30 mins of concentration?

I've tried to minimise things that distract me in my working space - I have my laptop and a radio on my desk and that's it - nothing else in my eye-line at all.

I don't think you should feel bad about seeking your manager's support when he is back. Your perception is that you are always the one in the team with stuff going on, but that might not be your manager's perception - you don't know what other members of your team might have going on in the background, there might be others who are struggling as well.

Ultimately it's part of your manager's job to support you and a good employer will recognise that in these exceptional times, people will have more wellbeing issues than normal - it's nothing to be ashamed of. Managers should be receiving training and guidance on how to support homeworkers who are struggling. It's better to speak up and say that you're concerned about your productivity than to let the issue get worse and worse.

When I used to WFH (and actually just generally) I needed to have a written task list to help help keep me focussed. So I'd have a structured schedule (written in a workbook, in an Excel spreadsheet, dedicated software, whatever) of what jobs needed doing, the deadline and the status, including waiting for input from others so I could complete the task. I'd update that throughout the day - eg marking a job completed and date/time, when it was sent to my manager, or whoever.

Occasionally if I was focusing on a large or difficult piece of work I'd put an "out of office" message on my work phone and email stating I was unavailable until X time and that I would respond to the email/ phone message etc after that time - and stick to it.

If you have Instant Message on your work computer turn that off too - it's like a constant nudge in the ribs.

Leave a message on your personal phones (landline and mobile) telling people you are busy and to leave a message so you can contact them later. Then actually switch off your personal mobile (or put on "Do not disturb" and ignore the landline. Leave the landline's answerphone on so you can hear if the message is urgent. If it's not then ignore.

Don't answer the front door (you couldn't if you were physically in the office) and try not to be visible through a window.

You will get pushback from people but, unless there's an emergency, stick to it. People will get used to it.

Your increased productivity and improved mental health will be an indicator that you are in the right path. Good luck. 🌹

thank you so much for these suggestions.

I spoke to another member of my team and she made lots of the same suggestions and also said she is going to buddy up with me so we can keep one another accountable for our work and doing what we say we are going to do which I think sounds like a great idea.

I think my mental health is playing a massive part in this too. My DP suggested buying a lamp with a soft light bulb in it for the area I work in to imitate the sun as its so dull at the mo and I feel very meh so I feel like I have some practical things to try. Just need to lift my mood somehow.

@JamesZebra

* My DP suggested buying a lamp with a soft light bulb in it for the area I work in to imitate the sun as its so dull at the mo and I feel very meh so I feel like I have some practical things to try. Just need to lift my mood somehow.*
Great idea. Have a look at dimmable daylight desk lights. There are some on Amazon but you could just Google as well.

Also great that your colleague will buddy up with you. 🌹

My employer has suggested that people who don’t have a home office put their laptop in a bag at the end of the day.

I’m also seeing privacy boards for kids doing remote school and I wonder if setting up something like that might be a signal
To your brain to go to office mode. It’s a piece of foam board and then you can add a calendar, some decor, whatever you might have near/on your desk if you were in the office.

Finally, even in the office, you are supposed to get up once and hour and step away from the screen for a couple of minutes. Few of us do it, but it is best practice. So try setting a timer and working for spurts and then standing up, getting a drink or whatever, and then ask to focus.

Hi OP I don’t want to hijack your thread but I’m in the same situation which seems to be spiralling out of control. The low productivity is making me feel guilty and I’m very aware that it’s storing up problems for me later on when deadlines are due. I just can’t find the motivation or mental capacity to get through it. There have been some good suggestions on here and I need to find the energy to take that fresh start as has been suggested. Good luck OP.