How to Avoid three common distractions while Telecommuting at Home
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There is nothing worse than being distracted when you are trying to do your work. This holds true no matter if you are stationed in an office with coworkers or in your home alone.

As a work at home professional, you are going to find yourself dealing with distractions all the time. It is how you deal with these distractions that will make or break your efficiency.

Television

Although you may not want to admit it, turning on the television when you should be working is a definite distraction. Even if your eyes are focused on the task at hand, if something catches your eyes and/or ears you are going to turn to the TV and take some time off.

Solution: Don’t put a television in your office. This way you are not tempted to turn it on during work hours.

Family and pets

If you live with at least one other person or pet, you know that this can be a distraction from time to time. Dad, when are you going to take me to the mall? Mom, how long until dinner is ready? The barking sound of a dog while trying to talk on the phone.

Solution: This can be a tricky one to deal with. After all, your home is doubling as both an office and a living space for others. There are two things you should consider doing:

  • Setup a dedicated, “out of the way” space for your office
  • Make everybody aware of your schedule for the day

Internet 

Like most people, you may spend a lot of time online to complete tasks related to your job. This is particularly true for writers, IT professionals, and proofreaders/editors.

There is no denying that the internet has made telecommuting a possibility for more people than ever before. That being said, this also brings about a new world of distractions. From personal email to Facebook to checking your favorite websites, you are going to be tempted to browse when you should be working.

Solution: The best thing you can do is promise yourself that you are going to exercise some willpower. Along with this, set time aside throughout your day – such as during breaks – for personal internet usage. Knowing that you will eventually get to “do your own thing” online may be enough to hold you over.

These are three of the most common work at home distractions, along with basic solutions. True there are more, however, in most cases, they can be solved using the basic solutions above.