Working from home is still a popular work style for many in the UK. It allows you to save time on commuting and potentially spend less time getting ready in the morning. It also frees up additional time to spend with friends and family.
However, the home can pose a unique set of distractions, also.
Let’s look at some of these distractions and see if there are any ways to mitigate them!
What are these distractions?
Pets can be a big distraction. Though furry friends provide some amazing psychological benefits, research from National Accident Helpline found that only 13% of respondents reported good concentration levels when pets were in the room.
Interestingly, their survey found a difference in how distracting this was for different age groups. 59% of 18–24-year-olds reported pets as being a consistent distraction. In the older 45-54-year-old category, 82% found that pets would draw them away from their desks.
Kids are another big one. In a survey by workplace consultant Morgan Lovell, 33% of respondents said that the main WFH distraction was their children. One particularly hilarious example of this is Robert E. Kelly’s interview with the BBC in 2017, which went viral on YouTube.
But the doorbell ringing was an even larger distraction found by this survey, reported by 46% of people to be their biggest distraction!
The temptation to check your phone when working from home can also dampen productivity. Apps, notifications and messages galore vie for our attention.
How to avoid these distractions
Pets, kids and other family members are an inevitable part of working from home, but are there any ways to cut the number of distractions they cause?
If you can, it’s a good idea to use a separate room in your house to work in and establish boundaries stating that nobody is allowed in when you’re busy. If there are kids in the house, this is a great principle for them to learn. You could even establish a visual signal system that shows household members if you are free or not.
Reading up on the behaviour patterns of your pet’s species may help you find solutions to pet distractions. For example, dogs thrive on routine and are less likely to run riot if you establish one for them. Upwork recommends building an early morning dog walk into your routine so that they are more likely to settle down during the day.
A consistent 5-10 minute playtime when you go for a coffee break at a certain time of day may also combat these distractions.
As for phone distractions, practice ignoring the pings. The more you do this, the easier it should become to ignore the craving. Some people find it helps to use the do-not-disturb setting or place the phone in another room while working.
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