How to Prevent Isolation and Distraction When Working From Home
If you are working from home, you know all too well about the isolation and distraction you experience.
Furthermore, there are things you can do to make working from home a more pleasurable experience. And your home office isn’t your only option.
The Gig Economy And Benefits Of Working From Home
As a blogger, I started working from home about six years ago. However, I never imagined what a learning experience it would evolve into.
More so, the way we now work changed dramatically over the recent decade. And continues to evolve into masses now working from home.
Have you heard of the Gig economy? It’s a term that references all the folk who now work for themselves as freelancers or contractors. These folks walked away from the notion of traditional full-time employment.
Additionally, in 2016, 53 million people were operating on a freelance basis in the US. And this year, at least 50% of all workers will work as a freelancer in some capacity.
The Gig economy is booming, and working for yourself brings with it many benefits. Instead, you can follow your own schedule and not having to answer to a boss.
Obviously, you won’t need to deal with the many disadvantages of working in Corporate America as well.
Rather than having to commute to a place of work, you can pull up a chair at your kitchen table, fire up your laptop and get to work. You also don’t need to rent an expensive office.
Fortunately, I have an extra room in my home to work but that doesn’t mean I don’t have isolation or distraction issues.
Consequently, if you work from home, you want your own space so you can separate your work life from your home life.
The Downside Of Working From Home
However, while there can be no doubting that homeworking has many advantages, there are a couple of downsides.
Firstly, there working from home always translates into many distractions. Whether it’s from the kids, spouse, phone calls, or whatever comes your way, it’s never easy dealing with them.
More so, social media presents a huge distraction as well. We all end up playing around with it far too much and that can cut right into your productivity.
Procrastination is another downside of working from home. If you are not careful, the entire morning can slip away in what seems like minutes.
Secondly, comes the problem of isolation. Unless you step outside of your home to visit with clients, working from home all day is challenging.
For example, you might find yourself stuck at home all week, seeing no one, and that can only add to work-related anxieties.
And third, you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off or networking opportunities. Wouldn’t it be good to ask someone for their opinion of your latest marketing idea?
Moreover, it’s very beneficial to converge with people of varying skillsets. This way, you can bounce ideas together and find inspiration!
Hence, a coworking space is one option and a simple solution to all these three key disadvantages. This has become increasingly popular in the US and more and more folks opt for it.
What Exactly Is Coworking And Is It Right For Me?
Coworking is a shared office facility, where freelancers or small start-ups can work alongside each other.
They have all the convenience of a modern office – heating, light, fast Wi-Fi, furniture, kitchen, break out areas, and more – but at a fraction of the cost.
Thus, you can select to go in, say, one day a week. This helps break up your routine and gets you out of your home office too.
For example, In Philadelphia, there are quite a few coworking projects, such as the MakeOffices coworking space in Market Street.
In addition, it’s got a buzzy atmosphere, and you can make a real difference to your working life for as little as $35 for a day pass.
Furthermore, if you are working from home, you might want to consider coworking space either as a permanent office or a part-time solution.
Honestly, it sounds like a sweet idea and one I am considering. Remember, it’s always a good idea to meet like-minded people too.
Personally, I like the option of leaving my home office a few days a week to break up the isolation and distraction of working from home.
Below, you’ll find five key benefits of coworking:
1 – The Price:
If you’ve decided on an office, it’s going to cost you a lot. According to squarefoot.com, it will set you back anywhere between $35 and $45 per square foot to rent an office in Philadelphia.
Besides, if you intend to expand to bring in one or two extra staff, that cost is going to skyrocket fast.
At a typical coworking office, like those offered by MakeOffices or WeWork, you can hire your own office for as little as $650 a month.
2 – Collaboration and Networking
By definition, coworking means you’ll find yourself working alongside other like-minded businesspeople. And many will likely be in the creative services sector.
For example, let’s imagine you’re a content writer – before long, you will have met a web designer, videographer or photographer and SEO expert, all of whom will be happy to work on a project with you and recommend you to their customers.
Likewise, it’s a fact that the coworking environment fosters collaboration. And in ways that are hard to recreate when you work alone at home or in your own isolated office.
3 – Wellness
Previously, we mentioned earlier how it could be lonely working from home. For some people, this is a genuine issue that can begin to affect their mental health.
More so, working in isolation is unnatural, and being around others in a positive atmosphere works wonders for our emotional wellbeing.
Additionally, when we’re in a positive mood, it has long-term effects on our mental and physical health, something we all recognize is important but often find we’re too busy to address.
4 – Improving Your Productivity
What better way to measure the return on your investment in a coworking office space than by assessing your productivity?
In a proper lively working office space, you’ll find yourself “in the zone” and able to do your best work.
More so, you won’t let distractions like the TV, other family members, the mailman or courier drivers. Instead, you concentrate on what you do best.
5 – Meeting Clients
In addition, when you work from home, meeting clients can be tricky. It’s not always convenient for bringing clients home or even taking phone calls from them.
For instance, you must either go to their place, which might not be convenient for them or meet at a local café.
However, all coworking projects have purpose-built meeting rooms, where you can invite clients to come in.
They experience the professional reception staff and get a great impression of your business.
What Can I Do To Help With Isolation And Distractions When Working From Home?
If you must work from home full-time, there are things you can do for dealing with bouts of isolation and distractions.
After working from home for the past six years, I found these tips very helpful and practice them weekly.
Below, you’ll find some creative ideas to help you along.
- Try to work at least one day outside your home.
- Take advantage of your work schedule by taking breaks every two hours to enjoy some fun activities, like shopping, social media, playing with the kids, etc for at least 15 minutes.
- Get your social fix outside of the home. Schedule two nights a week to meet up with your friends after work. For example, schedule dinner plans, go to your favorite local bar, go to the movies or even out for ice cream.
- More so, if distractions get to you, batch schedule your tasks and keep your office door closed.
- Ideally, try not to multi-task. But rather, focus on single-tasking instead. This will help keep distractions from getting to you.
- Seriously, consider a co-worker space. It’s a brilliant solution when tacking isolation and distractions.
- If possible, schedule group video chats. If you blog alone then take out some time and call a friend or your family. And schedule it weekly!
- Take an exercise break at home. More so, a group fitness class is the perfect solution for those isolation blues.
- Got to local meetups for entrepreneurs. Typically, every area or town offers them.
- Take the time to learn something new! Developing new skills will not only help your business but if you do work for a company, it will impress your boss as well.
Wrapping Things Up
Finally, as much as we love the idea of working from home, we recommend the concept of dropping into a coworking office for a day a week or even full time.
Also, make sure and practice the above tips for dealing with isolation and distractions when working from home.
It’s the ideal way to prevent you from distractions at home and feelings of isolation too.
Also, make sure and read Mind Easing – The 3 Layered Healing Plan For Anxiety & Depression
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A coworking bloggers office would be awesome.
I would love that! I really love sharing and learning from each other.