There are plenty of distractions when you work from home. Family, phones, deliveries. Try as you might to minimize them, you just can’t avoid them.
In the book “Your Brain at Work”, Dr. David Rock says it takes 25 minutes to recover from a distraction. 25 minutes!! That’s a lot of time I can’t afford to waste…
I was always looking for big chunks of uninterrupted time. I know, silly me, right? My life is made up of small slices – not big chunks. I could find 15 minutes here, a ½ hour there, but never enough time to actually finish something.
The Art of Refocus
Then I read an email from Julie Stoian with the subject line “Why Focus Isn’t REALLY Your Problem“. In it she said, “Focus isn’t your issue. The movement of it…is.” and “If I were to boil down the NUMBER one thing that contributes to my productivity, it’s that I’ve exercised the muscle of REFOCUS.” Talk about a lightbulb moment.
It seems the trick to productivity is learning to work around distractions, not avoid them. How? By learning the art of refocusing.
At the time I read that email I was working a 9 to 5 job from home. Looking after things around the house. Looking after my grandson before and after school and on days off school. My work day was broken up by meal prep, dog walks, house cleaning, shopping, walking to and from school, and phone calls from family since, well, you’re home aren’t you? And trying to be there for everyone. Talk about scattered!
Some days I would get lots done but usually at the expense of one or more of the other activities. And then there were days where I could barely scrape by because I was so overwhelmed.
All that multi-tasking killed my focus skill.
So, I decided to try this art of refocusing… And you know what? There’s something to it!
It made so much sense. Like you, I manage many distractions and surprise schedule changes throughout my day. Learning to assess the distraction, deal with it – or not, and come back to what I was doing was a game-changer!
Easier said than done, though.
The first thing I had to accept was that my attention is going to get diverted. That can’t be helped. What I needed to watch was my reaction to that diversion.
I had to consciously acknowledge the distraction, then decide whether I needed to do something about it.
That plate crashing to the floor in the kitchen? If there’s no scream or profanity, I’m likely not needed. Someone walking past my office door, not looking in? Ditto. I can safely ignore it.
Those events have a quick turnaround. I can switch back to what I was doing without missing too much.
The school calling about my sick grandson? The dog barfing on the carpet? Those distractions need my attention.
The longer it takes me to deal with a bigger distraction, the harder it is to get back to what I was doing.
The problem? If I haven’t set a clear intention on what I’m working on, I don’t know what to get back to!
It doesn’t matter if I’m fully distracted or if it’s a blip distraction. If I don’t know what I was aiming for in the first place, refocus is not going to help.
Hmmm. I thought, this needs to be a process. Using Julie’s email as a guide, I drafted some steps that I use in my quest to refocus.
How to Refocus
Get clear on on the one thing you want to get done. Focus on on a concrete outcome – not the goal. Something like outline a blog post, create 3 Facebook posts. Keep it simple and direct. Nothing else on your to do list matters once you pick this one thing.
Yes, you may pick the wrong thing but you won’t know that right away. Focus on it anyways. If nothing else, you’ll be exercising your refocus muscle.
Stick to baby steps at first. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Gather everything you need – pens, paper, research, whatever. Having to get up or go online to find info or a pen that writes is a distraction in itself. Get it all together so once you get a chance to start, you’re ready.
Decide ahead of time which distractions will pull you away from this task. Not all distractions need your immediate attention. Your teenager not being able to find the peanut butter that’s been in the same place in the same cupboard since he was 3 can be ignored. Blood from anywhere or anybody, on the other hand, needs your immediate attention.
Is there anything you can say “no” to while you get this done? For me, unplugging the home landline worked wonders. Or set a timer for when you can next check your email.
Keep a distraction journal next to you. When you come up with that brilliant idea, you can jot it down and get back to the task at hand.
Set boundaries. Turn off what you can, close the door. Leave the phone on but only answer pre-identified callers. If someone else is home, let them know that you’ve got to concentrate for the next ½ hour.
Take a break if you’re tired. A tired brain does not perform well and is less likely to ignore a distraction.
Figure out a “marker” you can leave in your task so you know where to pick up after a distraction. If I get interrupted when writing, I mark my spot with XXXXX so I can easily pick up where I left off. A sticky note in a book or journal acts the same way.
Have a couple of seconds before having to deal with a distraction? Write some quick notes to get back on track quickly.
Pick a time of day to practice refocusing when you’re mentally strong. Refocus only works when your brain is in gear.
Don’t panic. If something big comes up and pulls you away from your task completely, there’s always tomorrow.
Commit to the art of refocus.
Remember, refocus is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Keep practicing!
Me? I’m still learning to refocus. I thought one day I might master it but I’m not so sure any more. There’s just too much going on. But when I remember to intentionally refocus, I definitely have a more productive day.
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
Looking for more? Check out these other posts for more on getting the most out of working from home – or wherever you choose.