Remember Pixar’s 2009 animation film “UP”?
You know, the one with the house attached to millions of balloons, causing it to magically float through the air?
While the film’s story of Mr. Fredricksen and his sidekick Russell helped elevate the already heartwarming tale to ‘nouveau classic’ status, there was another character who I realised was basically me as soon as he graced the silver screen.
That character was Dug, the well-intentioned, bumbling Labrador with a heart of gold but a terribly short attention span, his most memorable scene being his personal introduction that ends with him getting distracted by a squirrel.
There are plenty of Dugs in the world, or rather adults who often experience being easily distracted while navigating through remote work and life in lockdown due to the global pandemic.
Remote employment has its challenges, but things start to get extra tricky if you also tend to get easily distracted, barring you from doing your best work.
Warning signs that you're easily distracted
While you should know if you’re unable to stay focused on the task at hand, here are some underlying signs that you may have characteristics that affect your overall focus, both inside and outside of a working setting.
Symptoms:
- Lack of focus: Individuals may find it difficult to stay focused during meetings or when undertaking daily tasks.
- Hyper focus: Conversely, individuals may find that they are hyper focused on particular projects at the expense of others.
- Impulsiveness: There may also be a propensity to act impulsively, which may manifest in interrupting others during conversations, being socially inappropriate or rushing through tasks when they feel like they’re under the pump.
- Poor time management: The above symptom may also be linked to poor time management skills, another common characteristic.
- Low self esteem: Having to deal with the consequences of all the above may lead to individuals struggling with low self esteem when failing to achieve desired outcomes.
Navigating in a remote working environment
The key to sustained focus is leveraging concentration peaks in order to get the most out of our workday. Working remotely provides a lot of flexibility that employees may not otherwise be able to enjoy in a traditional office space. With that in mind, why not try out the following techniques from the comfort of your home office.
1. Plan out your day
First things first. Be sure to plan your day out in advance to gauge what urgent tasks need to be done. You’ll be able to postpone things that don’t need your immediate attention and have a bird's-eye view of your schedule so nothing slips under the radar. Be sure to focus on the task at hand without multitasking so you can give it your all!
2. Break work down into manageable chunks
Once again, planning your day ahead of you will ensure that you prioritise all urgent tasks. Next, break down your tasks into manageable chunks that you know you can achieve in the time available. Then, slowly chip away until everything is done.
3. Use visual reminders
While I always recommend using an online calendar with notifications to plan out your week, having visual aids can make a huge difference in ensuring nothing slips away from you. Post-it notes on a wall can be a great way to help you recall important information while a large calendar can be a great way to plan projects months in advance. Whatever the format, be sure to use visual aids that work for you!
4. Take time out
While you may be excited with the prospect of working like a mean green productivity machine, it ’s important to take enough breaks throughout the day in order for “pooped troops to regroup and recup”. Basically, to avoid burn out. 15 minutes every hour should do.
5. Download a focus app
Apps like Endel, Freedom and Brain.FM are specially designed to help you focus on the task at hand. Whether it's through music designed to boost productivity or functions that allow you to block time wasting social media sites, focus apps often use the best that science has to offer in optimising your brain function and ensuring you get your work done.
6. Find an accountability buddy
One of the best things about working from home is the convenience. One of the hardest is being able to easily have a heart to heart with a teammate. To help keep you in check as well as provide quality assurance of your work, get in touch with a workmate who has time to proofread what you’ve done, as well as chat with you if you’re feeling overwhelmed about any particular projects. You never know. You might make a best friend in the process.
7. Paraphrase instructions
If you find you get distracted in meetings from time to time and want to make sure you’ve at least captured all the crucial details needed for your next task, try paraphrasing instructions provided to you. This way you’ll be more alert knowing that you’ll need to ask your leadership for more details as well as ensure that you capture any important information that you may have missed.
8. Reward yourself
After a long day of employing focus tactics and putting your best foot forward, be sure to reward yourself! Whether you enjoy a nice brisk walk after work or set aside some time off after a big project, be sure to reward yourself in meaningful ways for your efforts.
Working from home brings its own challenges. Things can get tricky, but it’s not impossible to achieve amazing things with the right strategy in place. Whether you have a personal anecdote about succeeding while WFH or tips on how to stay focused, feel free to get in touch with us to share your story.
