When people hear that I telework from home, they often say, “I could never do that. I’d be so distracted by all the stuff I could be doing around the house.” Yes, there are distractions in the home office, just as there are in any office. My version of the overly chatty and disruptive cubicle-mate is the dog who occasionally needs a walk, or the child who bursts in the door after a long day at school eager to tell me about his math test… of course when I’m deep in thought. Distractions are a part of life. Learning how to deal with them – and how to manage time effectively – is the key to being successful in any office. Below are three mind tricks – no fancy scheduler required - to help you manage your time, no matter what office environment you work in.
Change Your Self-Talk
To some extent, we are all a product of our self-talk. We send hundreds, if not thousands, of messages to our minds every day that either reinforce existing beliefs or challenge us to rethink old ones. When managing your work, one of the most powerful changes you can make is to change your self-talk from “I have to” to “I choose to.” Let me explain.
The “I have to” and “I should” messages tell your brain that you are being forced to do something against your will. As Neil Fiore, Ph.D., explains in his book The Now Habit, these messages create feelings of victimhood – a condition ripe for the defensive use of procrastination. He further explains that your energy can’t go in two directions at once. While you subconsciously use your mental energy to brace yourself against the imposed work you “have to” do while trying to muster up the energy to start the task, you become immobilized.
Most of us have experienced this feeling. It’s as if we simply can’t get moving on a task. This may be the time you find yourself mindlessly checking your Instagram feed or checking the weather forecast for your weekend plans. The home office worker may end up in the kitchen raiding the pantry for a snack, or looking out the window to see how many leaves have fallen. Anything to get away from the relatively simple task that has now grown into the most foreboding death trap to be avoided at all costs. All the while, this procrastination causes inner turmoil as you know you will not be truly free until the task is complete.
Getting unstuck could be as simple as changing your inner dialogue. Instead of “I have to” or “I should,” try “I choose to.” Recognize that you actually do have a choice. You choose to work to earn money, and you have chosen your current job to that end. Simply put – you choose to work because it benefits you, and you have something to offer your company. You don’t have to love the task in front of you, but you can choose to recognize its importance… to value your job enough to want to give it your all… to avoid the consequences of not doing it… to free your mind from the weight of a task left undone… and to enjoy the pleasure of completing a task to the best of your ability. Maybe your self-talk goes something like this:
- I choose to do this to further my career.
- I choose to do this to please my boss.
- I will do this because I am a leader and this is expected of me.
- I am deciding to start on this task now so I will be able to relax with a clear mind this evening.
- I choose to do this because it’s the right thing to do.
- I get to perform this interesting work in a home office. I am so grateful.
When you find your enthusiasm waning, or are unable to get started, make a decision at that moment to embrace the task for any reason that resonates with you. Say “I choose to” until it’s true.
Work Hard Towards Guilt-Free Down Time
“One of the most devastating consequences of procrastination is that it leads to putting off living. We often let its insidious cycle prevent us from experiencing the rewards of accomplishment in our work and the full enjoyment of our play.” ~ Neil Fiore, Ph.D., The Now Habit
When we have a task ahead of us, we often see it as a villain robbing us of our joy until it is done. This turns the task into something to be avoided at all costs because it is no longer a neutral task that needs to be accomplished – it is a negative force robbing us of quality time with our family and friends! We then subconsciously seek ways to avoid the pain caused by the weight of the task we cannot seem to face.
Sounds pretty dire, but I sure have been there. If you can relate to this, you may need to change your thinking. Leisure time is extremely important, but it must be guilt-free to be truly rewarding. Elevate the importance of guilt-free leisure time and make it your goal.
So how can we do this? Start by replacing “I don’t have time to play” with “I choose to work hard and will then play hard.” The truth is - the more rested you are, the more productive you can be. We’ve all experienced times when we were so burned out that we were no good to anyone – ourselves included. We made mistakes, were short with people, and were not in the frame of mind to handle important work assignments. Here are some mind tricks to change our way of thinking so that guilt-free down time becomes the ultimate prize at the end of a job well done:
- Replace “This project is so big, I’ll never finish” with “I can take one small step and be that much closer to the goal and to my free time.”
- Replace “I must be perfect” with “I will do my best and not demand perfection of myself before I can relax. And if I make a mistake, I will correct it and learn from it.”
- Replace “I can’t relax until this is done” with “I’ll make progress then take a quick break to refuel.”
Planned breaks are so important in keeping our energy levels high. Set a timer and take a five-or ten-minute break after you have worked hard for one hour. Or write the first three paragraphs of a report, then take a coffee break. Research four articles, then go on a five-minute walk. If you have a home office, use these breaks to throw a load of laundry in, go outside to retrieve the mail, or walk to the bus stop to greet your child. Knowing you have something to look forward to in the near future lessens the dread of difficult work. And you may find that while you are focused on the relaxing activity, your subconscious mind is providing clear, almost effortless solutions to the task that previously seemed insurmountable.
Manage your Emotions and Mental Energy
We are all human and do not leave our emotions and personal lives at home when we drive to the office… or when we walk down the hallway to our home office. There are thoughts that pop into our heads throughout the day that can interrupt our work flow and distract us from the work at hand. This can be intensified when we work at home and cannot physically escape the environment that may cause us to be distracted, whether it’s an empty refrigerator that needs restocking or a sick child that we’re concerned about or a strained relationship that needs mending.
Below are some tips on managing your emotions and mental energy so that they don’t throw you off schedule.
- “To-do” reminders. It can be all too tempting, especially when you work in a home office, to attend to the tyranny of the urgent – in this case, any task that pops into your head that is unrelated to the work task in front of you. If you realize you need a gallon of milk, or have a bill to pay, or need to change the lightbulb on the front porch – write it down to relieve yourself of the mental burden of having to remember. Keep a notepad by your desk, or use one of the many phone apps created for this purpose. The point is to write it down and deal with it later. Perhaps you could take a break to pay the bill after 30 minutes of productive work. This turns the “to do” into a reward for completing work instead of a reason to procrastinate. You may not be able to run to the grocery store until the end of the work day, but at least you will clear your mind of the mounting list of “to-dos” if you write them down.
- Random thoughts. These do not necessarily require immediate follow-up, but can distract us from the task at hand. Maybe you suddenly think, “It’s Aunt Millie’s birthday next month” or “It sure would be fun to go to Disney World next summer.” When these thoughts arrive, either let them fly on by, or jot them down if you want to follow up later. Just don’t abandon your report that is due at 5 PM to start surfing the web for the best Magic Kingdom dining deals.
- Strong emotions. Occasionally, life overwhelms us and strong emotions take over and make it difficult to focus on our work. Obviously, we need time off to deal with life’s heavier issues. There are other times when we do not have the luxury of time off. For the home office worker, these times can be especially isolating and challenging.
At times like this, it is important to deal with these strong emotions, even if for five minutes. Think through the emotions and process them. Identify what is troubling you the most, and consider jotting down some positive encouragements or ways you could cope with the situation or seek support when time allows. You could also tell yourself you will work hard for a set amount of time, then take a break to think your situation through some more or to take a quick walk. You may benefit from changing your setting and working from a local coffee shop for the day so you do not feel so alone. The important thing is to manage your emotions so your emotions don’t manage you... and your time. Your goal is to give it your all during the work day to the best of your ability on any given day, and to free yourself up to deal effectively with everything else in your guilt-free down time. Do everything you can to avoid troubling your troubles by getting behind on work – or by producing sloppy work – when emotions are high.
A lot has been written on time management, and there is certainly much more than this blog can cover. But when it comes down to it, the ability to manage your time effectively is right in your mind. You don’t need fancy tools, though effective tools used consistently can certainly help. By changing your self-talk, working hard towards guilt-free down time, and managing your thoughts and emotions, you can switch your energy from that of an overwhelmed procrastinator to that of a motivated producer. As you do this, you will find that your time multiplies. And that leaves more time for guilt-free cake and ice cream with your loved ones.
