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A few days ago, I met up with my longtime friend. We were chatting. She talked about herself, then asked how I was doing, so I started telling her what I do: that I write these pages and have a few other smaller projects that I work on, and so on. And she suddenly asked me an interesting question: "And how do you actually manage to work all the time?" Well, at first I looked at her a little surprised, but then I answered her: "Sure." My head was racing. Why shouldn't I work? I enjoy work, I like working. Especially at home, I have a better opportunity to achieve deep concentration. I remember very well when I set deep focus in my Outlook calendar at work, and colleagues would still come to my desk who needed to solve something ASAP. (Usually for my clients.) That's why I've always dedicated my work-from-home time to activities that really require focus. So I asked my friend how she's doing. And she says, "Well, I have a really hard time focusing sometimes." As soon as I get home, I know I need to clean up and do laundry. I also have piles of ironing on my chair, and I can talk for like half an hour before someone calls me. "I'm just constantly distracted by something, so I feel like I'm doing less." Then we had a classic chat about the topic and didn't come back to it that day.😆
After my friend left for her family's house, I wondered how it was possible that we both work so differently at home. We know each other very well, so I started looking for what we each do differently.
I came up with a few interesting observations that you might find useful, so I'm sharing them here:
Define your work environment at home
Find a place at home from which you will work regularly and where you can sit. It must not be a bed, our brain associates this with rest. The same goes for the couch. Our brain often associates this with rest and fun. Choose a place where you can sit comfortably for a long time, so that your back doesn't hurt. Ergonomics is very important. For example, I work from the children's room, at their desk. They are away from home during the day, so the space is free. I have a monitor here, which I connect my computer to and work on. It is very important to separate the rest zones from the work zones. The brain perceives this quite intensely. When working in bed or on the couch, you may get tired earlier because the body is simply used to resting in these places.
So, when I started working from the children's room, I had to organize my desk. Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own office at home. If someone does, you are very lucky. I would also like to have my own office and a workshop for my DIY projects one day. 😉I admit it openly.
Desk Organization:
Keep only the essentials you need on your desk. All crayons, paper, and other distracting elements must disappear. These are small sensations, but they are very distracting and ultimately distract you from your work. On my desk I usually have a notebook, a glass of water, a pen, and pencils that I use when creating pictures. I have my mobile phone on a magnetic holder so that I can work was charging. Cables hidden as much as possible. Our desk is against the wall, which also has a bulletin board. That is also "cleaned" as much as possible to contain as few distracting elements as possible. I cleaned up my desk and the bulletin board against the wall as much as possible because I found that it also distracted me from deep concentration.
Set up rituals and time management
It helped me a lot to set a clear routine. When most of us come to work, we have a coffee. Some of us start working right away, some of us go to the bathroom, etc. Set up these rituals at home too. Before I could really concentrate, it helped me a lot to solve small organizational things beforehand. For example, I went to the bathroom, poured a glass of water for my computer, made a coffee and definitely turned my phone to vibrate. By completing these small "tasks", I prepared a space for full concentration. I can now sit at my desk and work. I don't have to get up from my desk and go to the bathroom after ten minutes. Then go get a drink after another 15. I simply have everything at hand and nothing distracts me. If you work from home, avoid having the TV on as a backdrop. For example, I work in silence. It allows me to let my thoughts flow and it doesn't distract me. When you play Netflix in the background and usually only watch it in the evening at home, you are giving your brain the signal that you are already in rest mode. It is then harder for your brain to concentrate deeply on work. If you have a radio in the background at work and are used to it, feel free to play it at home too. In principle, the point is to create a similar environment for your brain so that it understands that it is now in the so-called work mode.
Set Time blocking in your calendar
If you work from home, you still need to block this time so no one schedules any meetings during it. If your day is organized with various meetings and you have half-hour windows inserted jerkily throughout your calendar, it is difficult to concentrate on work. The brain is immersed in the action, and suddenly you have to go to an online meeting where you are dealing with a completely different topic. This is the "Time Blocking" method. I use it too. My day is divided into sections. In the morning, while I'm fresh, I focus deeply. In the afternoon, I have meetings outside the home or online. I always try to set aside a day so I have at least 4 hours for deep, uninterrupted work.
Morning rituals
I already talked about them a while ago. It evokes in the brain the situation that you are mentally at work. Hmmm, I think the brain is a very interesting organ 🙂. The point is that if you are used to making coffee before starting work, do it at home too. This way, the brain will better remember that it is time to start working soon and "step on the markers and get ready to start".
I recommend avoiding regular household activities.
Typically, for example, for washing clothes. Yes, we start the washing machine, but its sound can disturb us. Plus, someone then has to go and hang the clothes. The same cooking. While working in the background, you are constantly wondering if something is burning, etc. It is simply better to work really cleanly, which is why it is good to minimize these activities.
Mental hygiene and eliminating distractions
When we work from home, we are out of reach of our colleagues. No one can really see what is happening to us. Someone is working with a mask on their hair, and someone else is putting curlers in their hair during a meeting. Someone is painting their nails, and some of us are even breastfeeding. You can do anything with the camera turned off. And during the Covid era, there were a lot of funny, viral videos circulating about what the cameras recorded when someone forgot it was on and was in a meeting, what was being recorded, right? 😂
As for me, I do this by muting the notifications on my phone at home. I can see the display when someone calls me. I don't need to be disturbed by sounds. If someone really doesn't want to be available, the "do not disturb" mode on the phone is great. You can set the same type of mode on communication channels, for example, in Teams. This gives you space for deep concentration, and no one will disturb you. The only thing that each of us needs to watch is social media. Sometimes it happens that you start scrolling and suddenly half an hour is gone like nothing. The time management mentioned above helps me with this. I simply have a strict time window for deep work. I only check all notifications around lunchtime. It's largely about willpower, but if you practice and regularly set up your home office or work from home this way, over time it will start to work better and better.
Surroundings and family
This is probably the most challenging topic. How to set boundaries with your surroundings (roommates and family)? It's not easy. I struggle with this area myself. Especially when I had a daughter at home because the kindergarten was closed. What can we talk about? Working with a child on your lap is not for everyone and requires a lot of commitment. I remember very well how I reported to my former employer, Sephora, for a meeting where I was supposed to present the results of my sales channel, while I had a sleeping baby in a carrier attached to me, and prayed that it wouldn't wake up. The COVID period was challenging for everyone. I know that a lot of other parents were dealing with the same situation as me.
What I'm trying to set up now, with hindsight, is that when I'm working, my family really only notices me to a minimal extent.
Give your kids tasks to do that they like
For example, I give my daughter logical tasks to develop her thinking for half an hour (they're such cheerful pictures and she really enjoys it). After half an hour, I have to be with my daughter for a while. I alternate this. Then, of course, I also play a story for her, but not all day, she would be bored anyway. Fortunately, I burned it after lunch. That's her ritual. In the afternoon, she has another batch of exercises and drawing, which keeps her busy and lets me work. But it's not easy, so I try, even though I work from home, to have her at kindergarten, where she can play with the children.
Set Up Family Time Slots
Primarily, my family knows that they simply shouldn't disturb me in the morning. They can do a little in the afternoon, but there's no train in the morning.
The tactic of keeping the door ajar has helped me a lot in this regard. I don't want to be a nuisance to my family. I need to know that everything is okay, but if the door is ajar, the children know that they should be quieter and not disturb me because I'm working. I know someone uses the method of wearing headphones. I would use it too, but only when my youngest daughter is older. I can imagine such a method in a family with teenagers, but not in a family with very young children. Here, headphones seem more dangerous to me.
Physical and mental health
This is a challenge for me! 😆 They say that the ability to concentrate is directly affected by the amount of energy we have available. That's why it's important to follow a drinking regimen and take breaks between work. It doesn't have to be long, 5-10 minutes is enough. But these breaks are very important. They help distract the brain so that it can rest. This is something I have a bit of a problem with. If I enjoy my work, I'm able to let it absorb me completely and it doesn't feel like the whole day is gone. I can get a lot of work done, but if I did it for a long time, my ability to concentrate and focus would slowly decrease. It's important to go for a short walk instead of lunch, or go out to eat, or just go for a run, if the weather permits.
Time to stretch
If you have time for deep concentration, also take time to stretch. Ventilation at home helps me with this. When I work, I have the windows open. If it's too cold, I do a "shock" airing. I make a big draft and close it after a few minutes to change the air without making my home cold. As for stretching, try to remember who has an Apple Watch or other electronics that tell you "it's time to get up". It's no coincidence. It's very important for the human body to change position, sitting style or stretch after sitting for a while.
Time for daily light
It works very similarly with daylight. The human brain needs to rest, so it's important that we take the time to go outside for a while.
Going for a short walk is my favorite activity. It only takes half an hour, but it's incredibly beneficial for the body and mind.
Do you have any rituals or ways to maintain concentration and deep focus? Share them with us. I'd love to hear them.
