Working and running a business from home could be considered the ultimate freedom. After all, there are no bosses to answer to, no traffic on your way to the office, no expensive lunches and generally no pressure from someone breathing down your neck wanting those reports by Friday. Instead, you can comfortably sit in your home office, working hours that suit you and in a space that is comfortable and tailored to your individual tastes. However, there’s always a catch. While running a business from home does sound appealing – and it is – there are certain things to consider first and shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the main concerns being how to stay productive as well as remaining focused. After all, since there is no one chasing up deadlines, that means you have to be your own boss, and this means staying disciplined and focused on keeping your prospective clients happy. Below, we’ll look at a number of ways to stay focused while running your business from home.
Be rested when starting work
Ensuring that you’re adequately rested is vital to guaranteeing that you maintain the highest levels of concentration you can. Not only that, but a lack of sleep can negatively affect your mood, your cognitive abilities and is responsible for a number of health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. To be certain that you’re getting enough rest, make sure you have a firm, quality mattress from a company such as Eve. Downloading a sleep tracker for your phone is also a highly useful way of recording, understanding and managing your sleep patterns to ensure that you sleep better in the future.
Allocate your time properly
It’s important to figure out when you’ll be at your most productive. For some people, it’s straight away as they wake up – they’ll pour themselves a cup of coffee and are working while they munch down their breakfast. Some people might laze the day away only to crank it into high gear once the sun goes down, and are perfectly happy to work past midnight. Figure out which times of the day you are most productive at and work accordingly. While you might be able to get some work done outside of these zones, putting all your effort in during these select times will definitely assure you remained focused and productive.
Practice, practice, practice
Like any skill worth learning, focus takes a lot of rehearsal. It’s not something that simply occurs one day. You have to keep at it again and again. It’s the same with meditation; beginners can only do a five or 10-minute session, but with enough repetition and attention, they’re able to meditate for progressively longer periods of time. So it is with focus. Allow your mind to wander off from time to time, but always be sure to bring it right back. Take breaks when you need to, but always remember to sit down and carry on working afterward. Once you can do this, repeat it daily. Building and maintaining a regimen is the next crucial step to being able to focus for long periods of time. Your mind is a muscle, and, like all muscles, it needs to be flexed and worked to grow.
