Working from home? How to cut down distractions

Silly little things, like actually getting dressed, can help boost productivity at home.Working from home requires focus. It may seem that escaping from the noisy open plan office, to using a laptop on your own sofa (in your PJs), would allow your working mind to become laser pointed. Reality check, it's not that easy.Microwave timers, door sales people, washing that needs folding, Jeremy Kyle day time re-runs, Netflix docudramas... they're all there waiting to interrupt your day. Often by dinner time it may seem like you're dissatisfied with the amount of output you've accomplished.Here's 4 helpful tips that can bring the focus back at home.1. Set-up a home office (as best you can)Pay attention to the environment you create for yourself. Having a set working desk away from the sofa or kitchen table can do wonders for your focus. Having a closed door to distraction prone areas of the house (where possible) is even better.Plug your laptop in to a separate monitor in your home office area, and leave it there. Remove the temptation to carry your laptop back to the sofa (or worse, your bed).2. Play some background musicBackground music is especially good for focus, it can help stop your mind from wandering or becoming distracted by those noisy kids playing in the street outside.For best results it's important to find music with no words, or more specifically, stuff you can't sing along to (save that for the weekend). If you're looking for good playlists to get your mind in the zone, try searching for movie soundtracks  (we recommend a playlist like Thumos on Spotify).3. Schedule your work in bitsWe know its hard not to think about the laundry while you're finishing that PowerPoint presentation. Having your daily work schedule planned out visually can help your mind focus, knowing you'll have a set time to fold those clothes before your partner gets home.Scheduling also helps with your productivity, work priorities, and can allow you to take some much needed micro breaks during the day.4. Dress up in the morningThis tip is less about impressing your house cat, but more importantly about how the effects of dressing up a bit can boost your working frame of mind at home. We're not talking about a ball gown or 3 piece suit, but somewhere in-between that and the tiger onesie you wear to bed.You may love the relaxed wardrobe lifestyle, that may even be the primary reason why you like working from home, but challenge yourself to dress up for a full week. See how it impacts your focus, your productivity, and the way you speak on the phone. You might be surprised.