I’m back! I know, I ended up skipping a post yesterday (although, I’m pretty sure my mom is the only one that cared). I just couldn’t get back into the swing of things after returning from our long weekend away. But, I’m finally feeling settled back into the groove! I’m such a creature of habit — sometimes even the smallest trip can throw me off my game.

Due to the holiday (and a day trip on Thursday!), this week is another short one. So, as always, I’m aiming to be extra productive. You know what doesn’t help with my productivity? Distractions.

I wouldn’t say I’m one of those people that’s easily distracted. But, unfortunately, when you work from home, the distractions are abundant. I suppose this is true even if you don’t work out of your house — distractions are everywhere.

So, today I thought I’d share a few of my tips for avoiding distractions and kicking your productivity into high gear. Let’s get to it!

TIPS FOR ELIMINATING DISTRACTIONS

1. KEEP YOUR PHONE IN ANOTHER ROOM.

This has been a big one for me. My phone is constantly getting ridiculous amounts of notifications. With four email accounts and numerous social profiles, I feel like my phone buzzes all day long.

I found that I was constantly checking my phone throughout the day. So, I started keeping my phone in a totally separate room — or at least across the room from where I’m sitting (if I’m expecting a phone call). This stops me from tearing my attention away from whatever project I’m working on just to address those notifications. And, if I do desperately need to check my phone, at least I’m getting up and moving in order to do it!

2. CLOSE OUT YOUR EMAIL INBOX.

This is pretty much the same case as my phone. When I have my email inbox open in a new browser tab, I tend to check new emails as they come in. This means it’s constantly interrupting my focus. Having set times throughout the day when I check my email has really been helpful!

3. DOWNLOAD A BROWSER EXTENSION.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with the browser extension StayFocusd. This allows you to set certain times throughout the day when specific websites should be blocked. No more mindlessly scrolling through Facebook when I should be working!

4. SCHEDULE BREAKS.

Just because you’re ignoring your distractions doesn’t necessarily mean they go away. So, I like to schedule small blocks of time throughout the day when I can deal with those distractions. I’ll take a ten minute break to start a load of laundry and scroll through social media. I find that it scratches the itch and keeps me from being distracted by these things throughout the rest of the day!

5. KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS.

I think being familiar with what your specific distractions are is important. For example, I know that I don’t get great work done with the t.v. on. So, I typically work with a Pandora station playing instead. Acknowledging what things aren’t conducive to your productivity — and then avoiding them — is key!

What tips and tricks do you implement in order to give distractions the boot? I’d love to hear ’em!

Until next time!