Whether you find yourself working from home on a regular basis, or simply due to extenuating circumstances such as bad weather, it can be easy to become distracted in your own home. And why wouldn’t it be? It not only contains all of your favorite things, but also may tempt you to attend to your responsibilities outside of work such as personal errands and cleaning! That being said, here are a few tips to make sure you stay on track and meet potential deadlines while working from home.

Identify your supervisor’s expectations

No matter what your profession, there is a certain level of work your supervisor expects you to complete within a given day. Don’t fly blind; consult with them about their expectations regarding the volume of work you produce. Remember, just because you’re not in an office, doesn’t mean your supervisor expects anything less than high quality work. It may help to write these expectations down and keep them near you as a reminder and motivator.

Get dressed

Lounge clothes and pajamas are comfortable, but that comfort can make them very distracting. Part of the morning routine for those who don’t work from home is getting dressed for the day, which puts them in the working mindset.  So before you start your day, take the time to get yourself ready from head to toe. While we’d all like to stay in our sweats all day, work appropriate clothes will help you remain alert and productive.

Set goals

Setting and meeting goals is an important part of a productive day, so start your day by setting some goals for yourself to ensure a smoother and more effective use of time. Starting the day at 9? Try setting goals to accomplish by noon. Just ate lunch? Make a list of tasks that need to be completed by the end of the day. Setting checkpoints for yourself through the duration of the day is key to staying on track and not falling behind.

Schedule breaks

Peppering scheduled breaks throughout your day not only gives you a time to relax, but can increase productivity as well. That being said, working from home can be highly conducive to procrastination and extra-long breaks, and it can be hard to get back to work after a short time away from your desk. To make the most of your time, plan for an appropriate lunch break as well as a short afternoon break and stick to them, no matter how difficult it may feel.

Limit media distractions

When working from home, there may be more access to distracting media such as Facebook and Twitter than if you were in a traditional office. Utilizing programs such as Cold Turkey can temporarily block your access to distracting websites and can help you to avoid the temptation of non-work related websites.

Similarly, minimizing phone distractions can help you to be more productive while at home. Though you may not want to turn your phone off entirely in case of an emergency, putting your phone on vibrate and/or away from your direct reach can make it so you’re not tempted to habitually check your texts or apps. Staying focused is one of the main keys to success when it comes to working from home, so identifying what could be potentially distracting and taking the necessary steps to ensure interruptions are kept to a minimum is one of the best ways to stay productive.