1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: This week, we're talking about remote work and how people 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: can make it work for them. Today's tip is about 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: how to keep from getting distracted when you work from home. 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: I recently received a question from a Before Breakfast listener 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: named Mary. She wrote that I work from my home 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: office a spare bedroom, and I'm on the road traveling 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:35,319 Speaker 1: when not in my office, which is two to three 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: times a month. I know I am not as productive 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: as I can be when home, as I am constantly 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: distracted by things in my home laundry, dishes, eating. I 13 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: find myself working a really long work day into the 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: evenings to get my daily work complete. She asked if 15 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I could suggest a structure to help with this problem. 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: The first thing I want to say is that distractions 17 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: happen everywhere. This is not a unique problem to working 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: from home. In offices, people get distracted by other people's 19 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: phone calls and by chatty colleagues. They waste time doing 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: things that look productive even if they're not. Indeed, I'd 21 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: wager that the distractions of offices far outweigh the distractions 22 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: of laundry. In any case, I'd like to point out 23 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: that Mary's work gets done. The distractions means she just 24 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: cuts into personal and family time, rather than failing to 25 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: deliver on what she said she'd do. I think is 26 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: this is the case for most people who work remotely, 27 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: So my advice on dealing with distractions is given in 28 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: the spirit of helping people who do work remotely maintain 29 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: a good work life balance, rather than as a general 30 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: concern that people who work from home are slacking. My 31 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: first suggestion is to be proactive about your schedule. Map 32 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: out your intentions for the day. What work tasks do 33 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: you need to tackle, when do you plan to do them. 34 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: Distractions often happen when we're figuring out what to do next. 35 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: If you know what you plan to do next, then 36 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: this isn't as big a problem. The schedule mapping can 37 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: also help you figure out when you're done for the day. 38 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: If you've done what you inside yourself to do for 39 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: any given day, then you are done. You can call 40 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: it quits and go do whatever you want, laundry or 41 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: anything else. It also might help to create a schedule 42 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: for the home tasks that tend to distract you. Then 43 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: you can assign these tasks to set times. Possibly has 44 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: consciously chosen breaks during the day. So, for instance, if 45 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: you wanted to do laundry on Mondays and Thursdays, you 46 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: might put in a load right before starting work, then 47 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: move it to the dryer at your mid morning break. 48 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: Then you could put it away during a planned lunch break. 49 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: As for that lunch break, if you find your breaks 50 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: wind up longer than intended because of distractions, that might 51 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: help to set an alarm for thirty minutes. Feel free 52 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: to eat, read, putter around the kitchen, but once the 53 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: alarm goes off, it's back to work. I also recommend 54 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: shutting your home office door if you can't see the 55 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: rest of the house. Sometimes it's easier to pretend it 56 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: doesn't exist, which honestly is probably the best policy. People 57 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: who work from home are working. Just because you work 58 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: from home doesn't automatically mean all household chores are now 59 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: your responsibility or that they should be done during the 60 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: time that you are working from home. And you can 61 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: give the same answer to anyone who thinks they're entitled 62 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: to your time because you are working from home. No, 63 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: I cannot walk your dog no, I cannot wait for 64 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: your delivery person. I will be working then, no need 65 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: to explain anymore. Spend your work hours focused on work 66 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: and you can get done earlier. Then you can use 67 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: that time for whatever you want. Listeners, if you work 68 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: from home, how do you make sure you don't get 69 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: distracted by household chores? Feel free to email me your 70 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: suggestions at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com. 71 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 72 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 73 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 74 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 75 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 76 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 77 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 78 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 79 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 80 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 81 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 82 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 83 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.