As a remote worker, it’s hard to maintain the necessary concentration. Especially when you’re constantly distracted by a beeping phone or Teams chat notifications. How do you prevent losing your attention? Better yet: how do you maintain or improve your concentration? With our 5 simple tips, we’re happy to explain!
Write down things that come to mind in between
Working on a concentration task requires focus. You can’t bring that focus if you keep worrying about everything that comes to mind. To reduce some chaos, it’s wise to write down things that pop up in between. This prevents your own thoughts from pulling you out of concentration.
Make a short plan in the morning
Which tasks do you need to complete today? Which one is the most important? That’s the task you work on first. Only when you have finished it do you move on to the next.
Before you start working, actually schedule your tasks in your calendar. Reserve time for them. This prevents you from giving in to tasks that come up in between. It’s important to plan realistically: if a task takes three hours, allow it that time.
Turn off all your notifications
You work from home and probably based on output. Therefore, you are responsible for your own concentration and the amount of stimuli you allow.
One way to silence as many external stimuli as possible is by turning off notifications on all your devices. That means your laptop, inbox, Teams chat, phone, tablet, and all other gadgets are free from sounds and visual reminders.
Take a stimulus-free break.
After every 30 or 45 minutes, take a short break, even if your task is not yet finished. This is the moment to give your brain a little recharge. Don’t immediately reach for your phone, stay away from your inbox, and avoid other stimuli. Just five minutes of nothing. Except maybe a good cup of coffee or a short walk with the dog.
Get to work
This is where the distraction-free tips above come into play: you start your concentration task, but not before your phone is silent and you are in a stimulus-free environment. Only then do you get to work: you work on your task for 30 to 45 minutes. Set a timer if you like. Only when the task is fully completed may you move on to the next one. Multitasking in between is strictly forbidden.
