by theduemmer on 5/1/22, 2:12 AM with 20 comments
For context, I work as a design engineer on what I would normally consider interesting projects. Lately I’ve been having an increasingly difficult time focusing while at work and it’s been negatively affecting my performance. Luckily nobody has said anything yet but I fear that they will if I keep moving down this path. Typically I’ll come into work and immediately find myself wandering off task one way or another, then maybe do some work, then wander off again. Even with me blocking distracting sites like Reddit, I’ll end up on a Wikipedia or google maps tangent or something to distract myself. All told I normally only get a couple hours of real work done in a day. This week was especially bad with me doing maybe 5 hours of functional work in total, if that. I even spent time putting together a detailed to-do list for my current project with tasks broken into small items but that hasn’t helped. I also try to space exercise before, during and after the workday (but admittedly I don’t always do it).
Even though I can WFH whenever I want, I don’t work from home unless I have a good reason because if the office is bad for focus, my home is worse. To be fair, I live in a small apartment without a dedicated office space. I’ve bounced back and forth on why I am this way, whether it is too much freedom (very few real deadlines), my lack of confidence in the direction of the company, frustration when dealing with people from another office, burnout, the work just being too boring for me, or the fact that there are not many people currently at the office, and none with desks in my vicinity.
All that being said, today I was at my girlfriend’s apartment while she studied for her finals, and I figured I’d try to catch up on work while there. Surprisingly, I was effortlessly able to start working, even while still lying in bed! Additionally, I didn’t “feel” like the work was bullshit either, even though this past week I did feel that way. It makes me wonder if my problem stems from my mind not being in work mode while I am at work. How do you all keep your minds in a working mode, whether at home or at the office? Thanks in advance!
by bestcoder69 on 5/1/22, 2:39 AM
So... whoops, I guess my teachers when I was young were right about the possible ADHD, and it wasn't really a case of "they're just trying to pill up all the kids!!!111!".
by m3ursau1t on 5/1/22, 6:34 AM
You may want to try some of this out, and perhaps it will work for you. Good luck!
by watercooler_guy on 5/1/22, 3:23 AM
by endorphine on 5/2/22, 5:23 AM
by nso95 on 5/1/22, 2:35 AM
by ipaddr on 5/1/22, 4:02 AM
It's not how much time you spend it's the ability to deliver on time.
by nuclx on 5/3/22, 8:30 AM
by Parker_Powell on 5/2/22, 7:16 AM
When you have a million different distractions around you all day, staying focused at work can be difficult, even for the most dedicated employees. Although it may seem impossible, it's actually quite easy to stay focused if you just put your mind to it. It's all about developing good habits and sticking to them.
First and foremost, set boundaries with your coworkers around when they should disturb you and when they should leave you alone. If you're having trouble focusing on an important project during the day, try getting up and working on it somewhere else—even if that means going home and working in the quiet of your own living room. It might also help to turn off any outside distractions, like social media or streaming services, while you're trying to focus.
Be sure not to overload yourself with work by taking on too many projects at once or by trying to juggle multiple tasks within one day! You'll just end up feeling overwhelmed instead of productive.
Remember: Staying focused takes effort but it's worth every minute when you see how much more efficient your time becomes!