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Tips for Working from Home

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been working from home for 3 years now.  I used to teach high school Spanish, so switching from a classroom to my living room was quite a change.  It was definitely more peaceful and filled with a lot less drama and certainly fewer bad accents, but working from home has it challenges too.  Part of the reason I do it is because I am a stay at home mom- working in the same place you “stay at home” is tricky.  It’s hard to find good boundaries and honor them even when they’re in place.  I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve learned the past few years.

  • Set “office hours.”  It’s not fair to your family or yourself to work 24/7.  Just like an office job, you need to set specific hours in which you work, and I do mean work.  Treat your at-home job as a real job and be professional about it.  You can’t take breaks to hang with friends, wash dishes, or even do laundry.   On the flip side, once those hours are over, stop working and go “home.”
  • Act professionally.  Just because you have a laptop and a couch doesn’t mean you should work in your pj’s.  You don’t have to wear suits, but dressing professionally can help you stay in the work mindset and not get easily distracted.
  • Set goals.  Again it’s part of being professional- don’t work aimlessly or without goals.  Dependent upon your job, set weekly or monthly goals that are challenging but achievable.  This will help you stay focused and not run adrift.
  • Block distractions.  They come in a lot of forms, both internally and externally.  If noise of a problem or just catches your attention, try a sound machine or this free white noise generator.  Another form of distraction comes online, as well.  There are quite a few productivity add-ons you can try to get more done.
The key to working from home successfully is treating your job professionally and blocking distractions.
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Productivity Add-Ons

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

These days, we’re all looking for ways to boost our productivity.  There just isn’t enough time to get it all done- for anyone.  You are not alone in your frustration as you search for ways to avoid the seemingly inevitable time sucks that common distractions make.  Did you know that the average worker loses more than 2 hours a day to distractions??  Those distractions can be internal or external, meaning they come from yourself and others.  External distractions can range from clicking high heels and fingernails to co-worker chatter to whatever else your office offers.  Few, if any, are immune to distraction at work.  That’s why so many people are looking for ways to cut down on distraction.  Forgive me if you already have these, but here are some great finds for those of us legitimately looking to be more productive. {note that these are all for Firefox.}

  • Customize Google

    LeechBlock: a Firefox add-on that allows you to block sites so you can avoid their distraction.

  • Customize Google: CustomizeGoogle is a Firefox extension that enhance Google search results by adding extra information (like links to Yahoo, Ask.com, MSN etc) and removing unwanted information (like ads and spam). All features are optional and easily configured.
  • FlashGot: Download all the links, movies and audio clips of a page at the maximum speed with a single click, using the most popular, lightweight and reliable external download managers.
  • StatusBar: View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar – without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing.
  • Flashblock: Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content.
  • URL fixer: URL Fixer is an extension for Mozilla Firefox that corrects typos in URLs that you enter in the address bar. For example, if you type google.con, it will correct it to google.com (asking first, if you enable confirmation).
  • Tab Mix Plus: Tab Mix Plus enhances Firefox’s tab browsing capabilities. It includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. It also includes a full-featured session manager.
  • ScrapBook: Helps you to save Web pages and organize the collection.

And, a final productivity booster for any browser:

Check out these free productivity add-ons and this free white noise generator to get a little boost at work.
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8 Ways to Improve Your Productivity & Efficiency

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…

It’s a weird time of year- Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is looming, and there is a lot to get done…yet, the mind often wanders and attention drifts, and before you know it, the day is gone and very little has been accomplished.  Even when it’s not the Christmas season, full of stress, shopping, visiting family, school programs, and extra activities, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours every day.  I imagine that number increases during the holidays.

If you find yourself daydreaming, stressing, or just being plain old unproductive, try some of these tips to help you get more out of your day so that when your Christmas break comes, you can actually take a break and not worry about all that you didn’t get done on time.

Tips to increase productivity and efficiency

  • Prioritize your day – Instead of losing the first hour of the day to email and catching up, try to start with the most important tasks first thing in the morning.  Even if you’re not a morning person, you usually are the freshest then and you also ensure that something important gets done.
  • Use white noise – Random office noise, completely unrelated to you and your work, consumes almost two hours a day for most people. Try out this free white noise generator to see if you could benefit from masking the miscellaneous noise at work.
  • Establish a ‘No-Interruption’ Mode – Set aside a specific period of time each day or at least a couple times a week in which you turn off all distractions, including but not limited to Facebook, Instant Messenger, email and even your phone.  You may have to book an unused conference room to make the most of this time.  Then, at the end of your time, take a short break to check your phone and email.
  • Take a break – Get up from you chair and walk around. About once an hour, stretch your muscles, look around and breathe deeply. This will help relieve stress, relax your muscles and increase blood flow to your brain.
  • Drink more water – Your brain is about 75% water. Getting even slightly dehydrated can decrease your productivity and energy by up to 20%. Interestingly, if you feel thirsty, you are already on your way to dehydration!  Thus, keep a water bottle at your desk.  If you’re like me and prefer coffee, tea, or even Coke, try to at least match your other beverage consumption with water.
  • Sit up straight – Good posture one of the most important changes any computer user can make to improve comfort and productivity. The ultimate goal is to maintain a neutral typing posture while using your computer more productively.  Start with a good, ergonomic chair and adjust it to support your body. Move the back rest up or down to find the angle that best fits the curve of your back. Make sure your lower back has enough support, or add portable lumbar support. Lower your chair height so your feet rest firmly on the floor and adjust your arm rests to provide easy elbow and arm movement.
  • Get Organized – Clear off all the clutter on your desk and stop wasting time looking for things. Place the frequently used items, like your phone or stapler, within easy reach. Try using an adjustable keyboard tray to open more space on your desk, and to allow for better typing posture.
  • Upgrade your keyboard – Ergonomic keyboards are designed to help you type faster, more comfortably and more efficiently. Try out several different keyboards to find one that best fits your hands. Give yourself a few weeks to adjust to the new fit and style.

Eliminate distractions by turning off your phone or email, and by adding a personal, free white noise generator to your work. Increasing your comfort with a well-designed, ergonomic chair or upgrading to an ergonomic keyboard can also help you remain productive all day long.

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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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Distracted at Work

May 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Meg May Be Sleepless in Seattle, but I’m Distracted at Work

Are you distracted at work?  Is it crazy frustrating to actually want to work and not be able to because of interruptions.
If you are in fact “distracted at work,” why not try a white noise machine at your desk. It may not be as exciting as headphones, but it’s a lot more effective because a sound machine doesn’t prove to be a distraction itself {ever found yourself typing the lyrics inadvertently in an email?}.  What it does do is drown out background noise so that you can focus on what you are doing, instead of trying to concentrate through office drama or co-worker chatter.

Plus, studies show that less noise {via a sound machine}  are extremely helpful in more focus, less tress, and fewer errors.  Studies have found that offices that utilized white noise showed an average of 48% improvement in their ability to focus on tasks, a 51% improvement in elimination of distractions {especially overheard conversations}, and a 27% improvement in lowered stress levels.

A small portable option for a white noise machine is the Sound Oasis Travel White Noise Therapy System. It’s the Mighty Mouse of the sound machines- tiny, but it can beat up all the big distractions Even better, since its portable, you can take it home with you to help you get better sleep at night.

If you don’t need a portable option, the Sound Oasis Deluxe Office White Noise System is a great choice. It’s not as small as the travel sound machine, but it does have a lot more features, including 20 main sounds & 5 mix sounds create 120 sound environment possibilities.

A free option to just try out the whole white noise thing is a free online white noise generator. Just keep it open in a background browser window and you’ll be well on your way to working–without as much distraction and stress.

If office noise and the resulting distractions are keeping you from work, try a free online generator or a sound machine to tune out what’s bothering you.

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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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Increasing Your Productivity {Remove Distractions with White Noise}

March 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I am always looking for ways to make the most of my work day. Here are some surprising, but effective tips to increase productivity and efficiency:

  • Prioritize your day – Always jump into the most important tasks first thing in the morning, before checking your email or answering phone calls. This guarantees that the priority tasks get done while you are freshest.
  • Use white noise – Random office noise, completely unrelated to you and your work consumes almost two hours a day for most people. Try out this free white noise generator to see if you could benefit from masking the miscellaneous noise at work.
  • Establish a ‘No-Interruption’ Mode – New studies have found that people distract themselves at work almost as often as they are distracted by other people. Designate a specific period of time to turn off all distractions (such as Facebook, Instant Messenger, Email and even your phone) in order to optimize your focus on the project at hand. At the end of your time, take a short break to check your phone and email, then go back to the ‘No-Interruption’ mode.
  • Take a break – Get up from you chair and walk around. About once an hour, stretch your muscles, look around and breathe deeply. This will help relieve stress, relax your muscles and increase blood flow to your brain.
  • Drink more water – Your brain is about 75% water. Getting even slightly dehydrated can decrease your productivity and energy by up to 20%. As a general rule aim for eight full glasses of water a day.
  • Sit up straight – Good posture one of the most important changes any computer user can make to improve comfort and productivity. The ultimate goal is to maintain a neutral typing posture while using your computer more productively.  Start with a good, ergonomic chair and adjust it to support your body. Move the back rest up or down to find the angle that best fits the curve of your back. Make sure your lower back has enough support, or add portable lumbar support. Lower your chair height so your feet rest firmly on the floor and adjust your arm rests to provide easy elbow and arm movement.
  • Get Organized – Clear off all the clutter on your desk and stop wasting time looking for things. Place the frequently used items, like your phone or stapler, within easy reach. Try using an adjustable keyboard tray to open more space on your desk, and to allow for better typing posture.
  • Upgrade your keyboard – Ergonomic keyboards are designed to help you type faster, more comfortably and more efficiently. Try out several different keyboards to find one that best fits your hands. Give yourself a few weeks to adjust to the new fit and style.

These simple tips can help you make the most of your time. Eliminate distractions by turning off your phone or email, and by adding a personal white noise generator to your work. Increasing your comfort with a well-designed, ergonomic chair or upgrading to an ergonomic keyboard can also help you remain productive all day long.

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Using a Sound Machine to Help Your Homeschooler Concentrate

February 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

These tips will help your kid NOT to feel like this!

I recently came across this article while researching homeschooling options for my family. Most homeschooling curriculum focus heavily on reading, and rightly so. If a person can read, they can find out almost anything they would ever want to know, not to mention being able to communicate effectively and clearly and just finding it an enjoyable pastime.

Sometimes being able to focus while you read is difficult, especially if the topic you are reading for school is not one of your favorite subjects. Here are a few tips you can use in your homeschooling routine to help your child be able to concentrate and learn.

Tips to Help Your Child Concentrate

  1. Have a quiet place your child can go to read. This is ideally out of the way and hopefully and comfortable spot. There should also be adequate light. A comfy chair by a window or maybe a swing out on the front porch. Wherever your child can get comfortable, but not be distracted by the other happenings around the house.
  2. Utilize white noise when you can’t provide a quiet environment. Let’s be realistic here. Your house isn’t always going to be quiet and your child isn’t always going to be so wrapped up in what they are reading that they ignore all other distractions. There are phone calls to answer, younger siblings running around, and the barking dog. All of these are normal in a household, but can be huge distractions, especially if your child is already having trouble concentrating.  A sound machine in the same room can drown out those background noises so your child can fully focus. You can try one for free to see if you notice any improvement in concentration and decrease in distraction.
  3. Use rewards to encourage your child to do their school work. Everyone works better when they are looking forward to a reward. I usually reward myself with chocolate or by giving myself time to sew. As a kid though, even simple things like being allowed to have a stuffed animal on my desk for good behavior was enough to motivate me to do well. (Can you tell I am goal oriented?) Perhaps some computer time, a favorite snack, or being allowed to watch a favorite TV show or DVD will be just enough incentive to get your child to buckle down and study.

By utilizing these tips–having a quiet place to go and read, utilizing white noise to help fight distractions, and offering a small incentive–you can help your child to concentrate and learn.

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Use a Sound Machine to Reduce Distractions at Work

January 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Do you find yourself constantly distracted at work? Are you frustrated by how long it takes to do tasks because you just keep getting  interrupted?  Have you talked to your boss about it, but not gotten much, if any, help?

If this is the situation you find yourself in, I would encourage you to try using a white noise machine at your desk. Unlike music, it doesn’t divert your attention at all from what you are supposed to be concentrating on. What it does is drown out background noise so that you can focus on what you are doing, instead of trying to concentrate through the office drama of “what Jimmy said to Sally after this crazy thing happened.” Even better, studies show that it can help you focus better and feel less stressed. Studies have found that offices that utilized white noise showed an average of 48% improvement in their ability to focus on tasks, a 51% improvement in elimination of distractions (especially overheard conversations), and a 27% improvement in lowered stress levels.

A small portable option for a white noise machine is the Sound Oasis Travel White Noise Therapy System. I like to think of this as the Mighty Mouse of the sound machines. It is tiny in stature, but can beat up all the big distractions keeping you from doing what you are supposed to be doing–working. Even better, since its portable, you can take it home with you to help you get better sleep at night.

If you don’t want a portable option, the Sound Oasis Deluxe Office White Noise System is a nice option. Its not as small as the travel sound machine, but it does have a lot more features, including 20 main sounds & 5 mix sounds create 120 sound environment possibilities.

If you aren’t convinced and would just like to try it out, you could try a free online white noise generator. Just keep it open in a background browser window and you’ll be well on your way to working–without as much distraction and stress.

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Get to Sleep Naturally (Without the use of pills!)

December 31, 2010 By 3 Comments

I greatly dislike tossing and turning and being unable to go to sleep when I want to. What I dislike even more is when I just drift off to sleep and a noise wakes me up. I’ll be honest. I really don’t like being awakened at all in the middle of the night. Usually, it’s my dog scratching or moving around, but it could be my kids randomly crying out in the next room, my husband making a noise, etc. You get the idea.

One option to avoid this is to take sleeping pills so I am in a deeper sleep. There are a lot of drawbacks to this method, though. Most of the over-the-counter sleep aids are just Benadryl re-packaged and increased in price. (It’s true. The active ingredient in both is diphenhydramine .) Also, I don’t really like taking medicine unless I really need to and a doctor would laugh at me if I tried to get sleeping pills so I could stop being awakened by random noises. (And rightfully so.) There is also the possibility of my body getting dependent on them, etc. The risks outweigh the benefits, in my opinion.

Another option is ear plugs. They hurt my ears, though, and I need to be able to hear my children if one of them wakes up with a legitimate problem.

The solution I have discovered is to use a sound machine in my bedroom. It covers over those little noises that wake me up, doesn’t make my ears hurt, and I can still hear my kiddos in the other room if they really need me to. (I’ve written before about ways to make sure you can hear your kids and still get a good night’s sleep.) It has made a world of difference just to have that light background noise covering over all those little things that was causing me to not sleep very well. I’ve started waking up only when I am supposed to–when my alarm goes off.

If you’d like to do a little experiment of your own, you can try this free white noise generator. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t help you to sleep better.

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