Workplace Focus and Distractions

So what does going to work mean?  In the past that would mean getting up early, getting dressed appropriately, and commuting to an office.  We would talk to our peers around the water cooler, we would have meetings in our conference rooms, and we would get lunch with our work friends.  To state the obvious, that is not how things are today.  We no longer go into an office unless it is essential; we do not have large office gatherings in person; and we do not go out to lunch with our friends.  These changes have blended home and work life in a way we have never seen before; however, it is still important to be comfortable when working and it is still important to have some segregation from our personal life.

 Space

We want our offices to have a professional feel, that way we can focus on business when we arrive.  The real point of an office building is it gives people a place to work without the distractions of home.  Most office building have maintenance staff that handle cleaning, snow removal, and other routine chores.  They provide a location that removes personal issues and is designed to feel comfortable.  That is why people didn’t always work from home.  A balance between work life and personal life is good for our mental health and productivity.  Over the last few months we have been unable to work with these benefits.  Most of us worked from home and we had to find a way to deal with distractions.  These productivity killers could be family, could be home improvement issues, or could just be an inability for some of us to focus on work.  As these issues emerged, we started to think of clever ways to deal with them.  Those of us with extra rooms simply made home offices, while the rest of us had to stick in a workplace where ever possible.  For many, our dining room tables became make shift desks.  We began to realize the importance of having a dedicated work space.

As the world begins to reopen we are coming to realize that the way we work will forever be changed.  Companies began to save money without having to pay travel expenses and without having to maintain large facilities.  This comes at a perfect time.  The technological age provides many of the tools necessary to work remotely.  We no longer need central phone systems, we can simply use an online based phone system.  This allows people work from anywhere but enables them to transfer calls and function as if they were in an office with a centralized system.  Furthermore, the use on phones in general is on the decline.  E-mail is currently by far the most popular and effective means of work communication.  Finally, we no longer need to meet in person, companies such as Zoom have flourished by enabling us to converse with a large group of people with an in person like feeling.  So why would we ever go back to the office?  The answer is simple... how do we comfortably work at home without distraction?

Home Office

When we talk about home offices, most of us think about individual rooms with a high end professional look.  We all want to have a dream office; however, sometimes we dream too big and it is important to be practical.  We are not going to buy a new home just because we have to work from it.  True, it might be in the best interest for some but that is a small minority.  Most of us have to think about what we need from a dedicated work space.  Is separation from others important?  How much sun light do we want?  Do we want to be away from the kitchen to lessen the temptation to snack?  So the best way to create your home office is to decide what is important to you?  Second, and probably the most limiting factor, is to assess how much space you have and where it is?  The answer to the first question can be simple.  Just ask yourself what distracts you.  Some people get distracted by noise while others can’t stand silence.  Some of us need bright work areas while others prefer darkness.   Once you understand yourself you can start making some decisions.  Remember to think practically and out of the box.  Some old underutilized closest seems like a bad idea at first but they could be a realistic option.  Once you empty them you might see their potential.  Adding a desk into a guest bedroom or a small area in a master bedroom might be the perfect solution to your needs.  Finally, never forget about the basement or garage, these areas have tons of potential. 

So once you find you workspace, no matter what the size is, it is important to make it functional. It is actually surprising how little work surface area most of us need.  The days of having papers all over a desk are in the past.  Multiple monitor displays has become the standard in many offices.  One monitor for working and the other one for reference.  We no longer need print catalogues or printed paper work at all, everything is digital.  The ability for us to look up anything we want without books makes working from home easier and more practical the in the past.  In order to make them productive the focus should be on how to make them sanctuaries of focus.  Again, preference is important when answering this question.  For example, some of us prefer to sit while we work while others prefer to stand.  Working through our preferences will take some time and usually ends up being a trial and error.  What matters most is we learn how to make these closets, basements, corners, and entire rooms feel like the office.  We need to find what makes us stay focused and productive and we must adapt to our surroundings.  Things will never go back to the way the used to be.  We need to come to understand this and take advantage of what change can bring.