Who wouldn't want to be able to work at home, in yoga pants, with no make-up on, and munching on snacks as you work away on your computer? Oh the brilliance that you'll produce for the world! Oh the freedom! Oh the comforts of home!

And then reality sets in. 

It's way tougher to motivate yourself when there's no structure enforced upon you. While there are some superhumans out there who may be able to focus with zero structure to their day, I can assure you that I am NOT one of those! So how do you get your mind to focus on work and just get. s*&$. done. Read on, my friend!

Get friendly with routine.

I can feel your eye rolls, but hear me out! You're thinking, "But I quit my 9-5 so that I wouldn't be tortured by the monotony of routine! I can't go back to that!". But, friends, it's not all black or white! There's room for a bit of routine (or, as I like to refer to it, ritual) in your day to help get your mindset in the correct place. These rituals can look different for every single one of us, and they take a bit of time and experimentation before you find what works for you. Still, rituals will help to create these triggers in your mind that it's time to focus on work and shift your mindset from mommy to kick-ass entrepreneur. 

So what sort of rituals am I talking about? Loads of successful folks rave about having a morning routine (read Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod), and I absolutely can attest to morning rituals being life-changing! While Miracle Morning talks about creating a full series of events that get your brain and body going, you can take this idea and simplify it for yourself. For example, my morning ritual consists of taking my dog to the park, sitting down to eat breakfast, and tending to the veggie garden all before looking at my emails. I typically don't look at client work or messages until 9:30am or 10am! Slow mornings have been life-changing in that they help start my day with peace and clarity. 

Others prefer to have an evening ritual to wind down and get any final thoughts off their mind so they can have restful sleep. There are also loads of things you can integrate into your day. Maybe there's a point in the day when you have the house to yourself and make yourself a tea, and that's your start to deep dive into client work for two hours. Or perhaps you absolutely must take a shower in the morning because that's when you get the most brilliant ideas! The idea is to find triggers and rituals that work to get you in the most productive state of mind. 

Create a work zone.

It's much easier to focus when you go into a physical space that fuels your productivity. For most, this means a space that is the hub for your business, is away from all the chaotic activity in your home, and provides some solitude so you can think more clearly. We're not all lucky enough to have enough room in our home to create a separate office where we can shut the door behind us, but even having a certain spot on the couch or a corner in the living room that you use every single time you work can create that mental shift. The important thing is to try to keep this space for ONLY work use, so that way you feel that shift to work mode when you go sit there.

Get out of the house.

If things are feeling a little stale, an easy way to shake things up is to move your work day to a new location! A change of scenery can spark ideas and brainstorming that otherwise would struggle to come through. Not sure where to go? Local libraries are always excellent spots to go work! If you have an entrepreneur friend in the area, organize a day when you can work together in one of your homes. Even having someone in your home to work with you can be enough of a shake-up that it stirs up productivity! These days most cafes have free wi-fi while you're in the shop, so find a local cafe that doesn't get too hectic and set up shop at one of their tables! If you work on a laptop and don't necessarily need wi-fi, you can even go work outdoors! A quiet park or a spot near a secluded beach can be wonderful settings to get creative juices flowing. 

Break all the rules.

 Now that you've created some rituals for yourself, go ahead and break them from time to time! While I don't recommend breaking with your rituals too often (because then they're just not rituals anymore, amiright?!), changing things up and doing something fun and different can help stop you from getting into a mental rut. 

Disconnect.

No, I don't mean to unplug your computer! While working, it's best to put your phone in a different room, log out of Facebook on your computer, log out of your emails until you have to actually write one, and silent all those notifications that tend to pop up at just the wrong moments. The more distractions that you can quiet, the more you'll be able to focus. In the spirit of quieting distractions, consider wearing headphones with whatever music gets you pumped so that you block out any other noises in the house while you work!

So there you go, friends! I'd love to hear any other suggestions you have for focusing while working from home. Click the button below to email me your tips for working from home and we'll share them on Instagram! 

xo
Natalia