Six tips on working from home in a crowded house

There are many amazing things about working from home but it’s not always that easy (Shutterstock)

Working from home has its own perks, of course. You get to wear what you want, unless you have an official video call, you don’t have to spend money on transport since you’re not going to an actual office and it’s so comfortable.

There are all these amazing things about working from home but it’s not always that easy, especially if your house is crowded. There’s going to be a lot of noise and distractions when you’re trying to focus on your work.

Not a walk in the park, these tips will show you what you can do to cope and be more productive in a crowded house.

i.Communicate

Talking to your family about the situation and setting boundaries is one of the best ways to have peace when working.

Tell them that they need to keep the noise minimal during your working hours, when you’re having work calls and other expectations you have.

This will prevent any friction because they’ll understand what they need to do to show you support as you work.

ii.Create your personal working space

Designate a specific place in the house to use as working area. Even if it’s a small corner, it should be enough to give you that personal space you need.

It’ll be harder for you to be productive when you’re working in the lounging area or where everyone else is. Your working space should also be clean and organized at all times.

The area you choose to work in will affect your concentration levels so it’s best to clear some space.

iii.Do things early

If your schedule is more flexible, you can choose to get things done early before everyone else wakes up. You’ll be able to have a quiet environment without any one disturbing you.

You’ll also have the freedom to have the TV off so you can get things done. Otherwise, once everyone is up, they’ll want to have the TV on and there will be more noise around you.

If you’re a night owl, you can opt to burn the midnight oil. This will give you enough time to focus and concentrate on your work.

You can’t always control what people do around you (Shutterstock)

iv.Create a focus bubble

You can’t always control what people do around you. You can however make the decision to focus whenever you’re doing your work from.

A focus bubble forms when you shut everything out and give your work undivided attention regardless of the distractions. It takes practice but it’s possible.

v.Eliminate other distractions

It’s not a good idea to listen to music, watch TV or have your phone next to you while working. It could affect your quality of work and it also makes you take a longer period of time to finish a task you’d have completed within a few.

There are already so many people around distracting you and you don’t need to add more things to that list which could drain your attention.

Keep your phone away to avoid that temptation to scroll and save those other activities for later.

vi.Go outside for breaks

Take time to go for a walk, a jog or bike riding within the neighborhood when you have some free time in between. You shouldn’t always confine yourself inside your home.

This can be very overwhelming at times. Get out the house more because it helps your body stretch and it’s also a good way of exercising.

Other than that, it’s a way of unwinding and reducing stress levels throughout the day.

It’s hard to always concentrate on your work in a house full of people. Although unexpected distractions will come up from time to time, you can always work on creating the best environment for you to thrive in as far as working is concerned. Find the right balance and everyone will be happy.