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Tips for Working from Home During the Holidays

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How do you work from “home” on the road

Working from home has a lot of advantages- you set you own hours, you can work on your couch in your pajamas, and you’re your own boss.  For me, it means I can raise my children and still get a paycheck.  With all those benefits, there are definite cons to working from home, too.  Being at home means there are a million distractions just waiting to grab your focus- the phone, TV, internet, dishes, laundry, etc.  It’s difficult to balance it all.  To complicate matters even more is when you throw in the holiday season.  Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do or deadlines to meet.  Plus, most of us end up traveling quite a bit to see parents, grandparents, in-laws, or even grown kids.    So, how do you work from “home” while on the road for Christmas “vacation?”

Tips for Working from Home on “Vacation”

  • Set realistic expectations for what you can get done.  It’s hard to work at the same level somewhere other than home, so either be proactive in your planning or allow some flex room for making up the time elsewhere.  It is vacation after all.
  • Find a spot to work where you can set up and have everything you need to be productive. You may not love your spot, but it’s important you have somewhere to work.  It may be at your host’s home, or you may need to carve out time to leave and hit a nearby library or coffee shop.
  • Talk to whomever you’re staying with and discuss your needs, even your preferences.  Often, your family just doesn’t know what you need (or don’t need) to be able to work.
  • Similarly, it may be helpful to talk with each other and even your kids if they’re old enough to understand what and when you need to work.  It’s never good to assume everyone understands what you need if you haven’t actually said it.
  • Use a fan or a portable sound machine to mask distracting noises, including your own flesh and blood.

With realistic expectations and a good sound machine in place, here’s to returning home having accomplished all that you hoped to!

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Tips for Being Less Distracted {& More Productive} at Work

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tips for Being Less Distracted at Work

If you find yourself distracted at work, you are sadly not alone.  The average worker loses more than 2 hours every day because of distractions.  There are so many distractions, both internal and external.  Yes, you are to blame for some of your distraction levels.  On the other hand, many distractions come in the form of office noise, of which you are not exactly in charge.  All that being said, here are some tips to deal with distractions so you can improve your productivity at work.

Prioritize your day.  It’s tempting to sit down and open up email and Facebook and all that junk, which unfortunately are quite a time suck.  Rather than waste your time, start every morning by working on a high priority task while you are still fresh and motivated.  Once you really need a break, move onto your less important tasks such as e-mail.

Eliminate self-inflicted distractions! Since you distract yourself, why not try turning off your self-distractions, such as email or phones, and turn on a personal sound machine to block the noise around you. Then apply the same principle as above by spending 30 to 60 minutes focusing solely on a high priority task. Then, take a break to check email and then get back to your distraction-free work.

You can also use white noise to block excessive office noise, instead of wasting time and energy trying to block the extra conversations around us. If you have never used white noise, try out this free white noise generator to see you find it helpful at work.  With white noise, the interruptive sounds and distracting discussions fade into the background.

Stand up and walk around when you start to feel stiff or struggle with concentration. A little movement can relieve muscle strain and increase blood circulation to the brain. A study at USC recently found that standing can increase brain function by 5% to 20%. Dehydration can also decrease your productivity by more than 20 percent, so have a drink of water on your break.

When distracted at work, use a white noise machine to block removing the time-consuming distractions and office conversations so you will feel less stressed, more productive, and also able to leave on time for a relaxing evening.

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Crazy, Stupid, Love & Sound Machines

October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Crazy, Stupid, Love

The recent movie, Crazy, Stupid, Love, humorously encapsulated some fairly serious cubicle issues.  Poor Cal {played by Steve Carell} gets very unexpected news that he is being divorced.  Pretty quickly thereafter, his boss approaches him in his enclosed office.  With the door open, his boss overly compliments Cal which leads him to becoming suspicious that his news is more public than he realized.  Once his boss learns that his bad news is “just a divorce” and not nearly as serious as cancer, he yells out to the eavesdropping cubicle dwellers something along the lines of, “It’s all right, everybody!  It’s just a divorce!” much to everyone’s delight.

While this was a movie parody of how blase divorce has become, I couldn’t help but think of how accurately it reflected the plight of cubicle workers {and in this case, the office dweller as well}.  Nothing is private, and nothing is sacred.  Not only is speech privacy at an all-time low with the invention and implementation of cubicles, so is productivity.  It’s hard to focus on work when your business circulates around your place of business.  On a less dramatic note, even when your personal life isn’t on the line, someone else’s might be, and there’s always office chatter that takes your mind off work.  In fact, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours everyday.  That level of distraction is highly costly on a number of fronts- not only are workers not working while they’re distracted, they’re also more stressed, more injury-prone, and less likely to make ergonomic adjustments to their work stations.  All this adds up to a lot of lost work time, from day-dreaming to absenteeism.

How a Sound Machine Can Help

This is a very frustrating situation for a lot of workers.  It’s hard to lose such a big part of the work day to unwanted distraction.  That’s why many workers feel stressed- how to recover 10 hours a week?  A simple solution is to try to cover the noise with a sound machine.  Somehow the white noise generated by the machine keeps your brain from focusing on the unwanted sounds.  This is extremely helpful when trying to actually get work done.  There are tons of options- you might want to start with a free online white noise generator to get a feel for what works for you.

Whether you’re the one in the bigger office or one of the many in the rows of cubicles, a little speech privacy can protect you and your time.

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White Noise Helps Recover Wasted Energy

October 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you are like me, you feel drained at the end of the day and struggle to finish your work on time. While you should look into medical reasons for decreased energy, upgrading to ergonomic tools and eliminating distraction can help prevent energy wasted muscle strain and poor concentration. Here are some tips to reduce the amount of wasted energy and recover some of your lost productivity.

Try Using White Noise – It takes a great deal of energy and effort to concentrate in the midst of distractions and noise.  Most people lose up to two hours a day from interruptions and distractions at work. But a personal sound machine can help by covering unrelated conversations and surrounding office noise. Try establishing a distraction-free time of 30 to 60 minutes; turn off all your self-distractions, such as e-mail or phone calls, and turn on a white noise machine to block out office noise and conversations. This will allow you to work with focused energy.

Drink More Water.  If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Even slight dehydration can decrease your energy and productivity by more than 20%.  Although the necessary water varies by weight and activity level, a general rule of eight full glasses of water each day is a good place to start.

Upgrade to Ergonomic Tools.  Ergonomic products are designed to help you maintain a a neutral typing posture where your muscles are at their lowest strain and even relaxed. Good posture prevents you from wasting energy on strained muscles and a sore back. Start with a well-adjusted, ergonomic chair to encourage good posture for long periods of time. And make sure your back is well supported and add more lumbar support if your chair doesn’t provide enough. You should also try an ergonomic keyboard to help improve your hand and wrist posture; it will reduce the energy and muscle movement required for each key stroke.

Be Aware of Your Energy-Draining Tasks. Do you find that certain tasks or dealing with certain people drain you faster than your normal work? We all have things we don’t like to do and personalities that challenge us.  Think about what or who these are for you and be deliberate about how you deal with them. Find a good time of day for you, when you are not hungry or tired, and spend only 10 or 15 minutes on this work. If necessary, come back to finish the task a little later in the day. When you finished, work on something that energizes you.

We all encounter distractions and physical discomfort that drains us of our energy and concentration. Try using white noise to cover the constant office noise around you. And upgrade to a good ergonomic chair or an ergonomic keyboard to help relieve some of the physical pain. Changing a few habits can significantly impact your energy and help you regain your productivity.

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5 Reasons You Need a Sound Machine

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are many irritations in life.  For me, one of the more frustrating irritations is noise, unwanted noise.  It may sound silly, but I have 2 children, one on the way, and I am surrounded by noise all the time by the nature of my role as mother.  I find by the end of the day, the last thing I want is to hear my neighbor’s dog or passers-by on the street.  I can’t even tolerate loud movies or music.  My ears are just too tired.  Thus, I am a huge fan of sound masking technology and everything to do with it.  Interestingly, for sound masking to work properly, you have to add noise to deal with all the unwanted noise.  Counter-intuitive to be sure.  However, sound masking focuses on covering unwanted noise with white noise which uses a diversity of sound from the sound spectrum.  The result is that the brain can’t focus on one specific irritating sound and is freed from its irritation.

5 Ways to Use Sound Masking

1. For work. The average worker (including you!) is distracted up to 2 hours every day.  This distraction usually comes in the form of conversational distraction.  Thus, an individual sound machine on your desk (or even this free online generator) is great for tuning out this kind of noise. Better yet, sound masking throughout the office space can provide this benefit to the entire office.

2. For sleep. This is one of my favorite ways to use white noise.  I hate lying in bed, listening to the wind howl or car doors slam on the street. Using a sound machine next to your bed will mask the annoying sounds from neighbors or street noise, helping you sleep better and stay asleep with fewer interruptions.

3. For kids. Sound machines can work wonders with kid’s sensitive sleep schedules. Maybe your children are sharing a room for the first time, or you want them to easily sleep through the noise of your dinner party. White noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep for your little ones, which means better sleep for you, too.

4. For relaxation. After a long day at work, you want to come home to relax and unwind, but a barking dog across the street is interrupting your reverie. You can relax to the sounds of nature found on many household sound machines. Enjoy the sound of the sea as you sit down to read a good book.

5. For tinnitus. Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus can be very distracting and uncomfortable. The irritation caused by tinnitus can be lessened though the use of sound therapy, letting you relax.

A sound machine provides a more focused environment, free of intrusive and distracting noise. This can increase your productivity at work, or provide you with a more restful night’s sleep. Sound masking can also be utilized throughout a open office space to provide better productivity and confidentiality for everyone. Try sound masking for yourself, and begin enjoying the benefits of improved concentration and better sleep!

 

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3 Tips for Fewer Distractions at Work

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Office Noise Doesn’t Have to Become Distraction

Getting distracted at work is a common complaint that seems to have no real solution.  Some people work just fine with a circus around them, while others seem more prone to get caught up in the show.  Interestingly, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours every day, which seems to negate the idea that some workers can ignore the chaos.  While distractions can be both internal and external, the most bothersome ones are external and usually are noise-related.  Chatty co-workers, water cooler gossip, loud sales guys, etc.  The noise just never stops.

There really are a million distractions at work.  However, you do not have to be held captive to them.  You have several options:

3 Tips for Fewer Distractions

  1. Talk to them.  It may sound hypocritical- talk to co-workers about their loud talking…however, dealing with the problem head-on and in a respectful, straight-forward manner may just be what needs to happen. One way to ensure you are not too forward is to ask if there’s anything you can do to make their work day a little smoother.  Compromise can go a long way towards keeping a healthy work relationship.
  2. Time block.  Some people find it helpful to lay out their schedules and physically block off time for emailing, phone calls, ad computer work.  Some also find it necessary to escape their desks for various blocks of time and choose to reserve a conference room.
  3. Try a sound machine.  It may be that option #1 simply isn’t going to cut it with your co-workers and option #2 doesn’t alleviate enough noise.  Some temperaments just can’t handle such dialogue without becoming defensive or retaliatory.  If that’s your situation, a desktop sound machine is just the ticket.  It’s loud enough to cover office noise, but low enough to not be a distraction for others.  There are a variety of options, so it’s important to consider your needs before choosing one.

Office noise is inevitable, but office distraction doesn’t  have to be.  Try sound masking with a sound machine for better focus and increased productivity.

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Tips for Being More Productive at Work

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s probably not a big leap to say that you feel dead at the end of the day.  However, if you’re like me, you feel drained even before the end of the day.  It’s frustrating to feel behind before you even get started and to watch your productivity leave you {or never even join you in the first place}.  If you’d like to recover your wasted energy, check out these tips.

  • Maintain Good Posture. Surprisingly, bad posture can really drain you because slouching or sitting in an awkward position requires extra work by the major muscle groups in your back and arms.  In addition to how you sit, it’s critical to try to maintain a neutral typing posture where your muscles are at their lowest strain and are even relaxed.Ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to support good posture for long periods of time and have adjustable arm rests to help support your arms for good typing positioning.
  • Start Using White Noise. Distractions are massively draining- the average worker loses more than 2 hours a day to them!  Start by establishing a distraction-free time with no e-mail or phone calls – maybe even hang a sign indicating when you will next be available for interruptions — and turn on a white noise machine to block out office conversations and noise around you.
  • Upgrade Your Keyboard. In the same way that poor posture strains you back and arms, poor positioning of your hands and arms wastes energy and can strain muscles. Ergonomic keyboards are wonderfully designed to improve hand posture and reduce the energy and muscle movement required for typing. You should try the many different designs and sizes to find one that fits your hands and needs.

We all encounter distractions and interruptions that drain us of our energy and break our concentration. Set aside a distraction-free time and use a personal sound machine to help you focus and make the most of your time.

 

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Tips for Staying at Home & Working from Home: Part 2

September 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I recently posted some basic tips for balancing working from home with small children. I mentioned the importance of setting a schedule and trying to stick with it.  This is definitely easier said than done.  Thus, why not offer some tips for actually finding the time to work while you stay at home.

Tips for Finding the Time

  • Before they wake up & After they go to bed Two main times to work are before your kids awake up and after they go to bed.  It’s possible to work both those times, but most people have to choose based on whether their kids are early risers or early to bedders {Lord help you if they’re early risers and late to bed!}. Regardless of which you choose, I know it’s sacred down time, but it might be some of the quietest, most focused time you get during the day.
  • During Down Time An alternative is to work during preschool, nap time, or movie/down time.  Whether your kids are napping, watching a movie, doing a craft, or enjoying some individual play time, this early afternoon work time can be a nice down time for them.  For me, it works best if we’ve spent good, quality time together in the morning so that this alone time isn’t painful or hard-won.  In addition, I try to have something quiet that my child likes and can look forward to doing while I work so that she doesn’t have negative associations of my work.  There might be a special toy or puzzle or movie you can save for these times.
  • Co-Op Lastly, you might consider switching off with another stay at home mom.  You would each take turns watching kids so each of you gets some time to yourself.  Even if she doesn’t work from home, she could certainly use some by herself errand time.

Regardless of when you work, distractions are inevitable.  I have been working from home for 3 years now, and from kids being rambunctious to dogs barking to neighborhood sales kids with cookies, there is an abundance of noise.  I can honestly say one of the best investments you can make is a sound machine.  Choose one that suits you and your needs (it can even double for a sleep aid at night!) and use it so you can tune out a distracting world around you.

Finding the time to work from home can seem impossible, especially when you have to tune out distractions.  Try these simple tips for carving out some work time so you can balance home and work life.

 

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Overcoming Distraction with a Sound Machine

July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Unfocused at Work & At Home

Sometimes work can feel like a circus.

Do you struggle to stay focused at work?  How much worse is it if you work from home?  Either way, you have external and internal forces to deal with distraction-wise, and I’m not sure which one is worse.  In the typical work place, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours of his 8 or 9-hour work day.  All distractions count, but the main culprit is conversational distraction, which comes in the form of annoying co-workers, water cooler gossip, and your own mischief.  In addition, many studies estimate that we are interrupted about 70 times a day and that it takes minutes {not seconds} to get back on task once interrupted.  You throw in random meetings, bathroom breaks, and coffee runs, and it’s astonishing we get any work done at all!

Lest cubicle dwellers think they have the worst of it, it’s important to note that those who work from home have the same struggles, possibly even magnified since they have all the distractions of their own home: phone, TV, internet, cleaning up, snacking, kids, dog, neighbors, etc.  Plus, many people assume that those who work from home don’t have to honor a schedule so they pester their work-from-home friends without realizing what a distraction they are.

Overcoming Distraction with a Sound Machine

So, what’s a worker to do?  Whether in a cubicle or at home, distraction is nearly inevitable.  I will say that while distraction is inevitable, being distracted is not.  You may have to draw a few boundaries which might be a little awkward at first.  For example, if you’re in a cubicle, you might have to ask distracting co-workers to wait to chat until a break and lunch.  There are nice ways of doing this, but this means you also have to discipline yourself not to break your own boundaries.

Additionally, you might consider a sound machine. As fun as it is to wear headphones, listening to music isn’t exactly professional or accepted in many offices.  Plus, jamming to your favorite artist might prove even more distracting than the office hum.  Thus, a sound machine is a nice compromise- choose a relaxing nature sound and allow your brain to stay focused on work instead of what’s going on around you.

Workers in offices and at home are too distracted- it’s time to set some boundaries and try a sound machine so you can reclaim your lost time.

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Tips to Increase Productivity {with White Noise}

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We all want to make the most of our time at work.  But instead, we are constantly bombarded by distractions or discomfort at work. Here are some helpful tips to increase your productivity and efficiency.

1. Restore Good Posture – The goal while sitting at a computer is to maintain a neutral typing posture, where your muscles are almost completely relaxed. Improving your posture will make you more comfort and boost your productivity. Get a good, ergonomic chair that encourages good posture, and adjust it to specifically fit your body. Make sure you feet sit firmly on the ground and that your back is well supported; you can also add portable lumbar support if your backrest is not sufficient.

2.      Try white noise – Random office noise and interruptions consume about two hours a day for the average office worker. Most of us spend our day trying to concentrate through the conversations around us. White noise can help. Try out this free white noise generator to see if you could benefit from masking the miscellaneous noise at work.  White noise can help cover up interrupting noises and make surrounding conversations fade into the background.

3.      Set your priorities. Each morning, list out your most important tasks or projects and spend the first part of your day on a high priority task while you are fresh and motivated. Don’t default to checking e-mail or phone messages first thing. This will help lower your stress and make you feel productive.

4.       Eliminate distractions! A recent study found that people tend to distract themselves at work as often as others distract them. Set a period of time like a 30 to 60 minutes and turn off all your self-distractions, like your phone and e-mail, and turn on a personal sound machine to block conversations. Spend this time in focused concentration working on a high priority task. At the end of your time, take a short break and then get back to your distraction-free work mode.

5.      Take a break. If you are feeling stiff or are struggling with a project, stand up and stretch. This will relieve muscle strain and increase blood circulation to the brain. A study at USC recently found that standing can increase brain function by 5% to 20%. And drink water throughout the day; so even slight dehydration can decrease your productivity by more than 20 percent.

Increasing your productivity and efficiency can lower your stress and help you complete your work by the end of the day. Start by maintaining good posture with a good, ergonomic chair that is properly adjusted to support your body. Next, decrease the time-consuming distractions and office noise with a white noise sound machine. Working to make changes in your habits and environment can help you feel more productive and less stressed at the end of the day.

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