Creating A WFH Sanctuary: Step 5

This probably goes without saying, but working from home presents a whole slew of new distractions.

There are some that you can’t ignore, like a kid getting hurt or the dog needing to be let out, but there are other distractions that you absolutely can learn to minimize or even eliminate!

If you’ve followed along with all the steps in creating WFH sanctuary, you know how important it is to carve out a space for you and fill it with good things. But what do you do when even WITH your own space, you’re bombarded with distractions?

Step 5: Minimize distractions…Even if it means kicking some bad habits.

We’re going to talk about two types of distractions… 1) when someone/something else is the problem and 2) when you’re the problem.

Oof. We’re officially the bad guys. But we promise, even with a little dose of reality, these tips will help you in the long run!

When someone else is the problem…

Kick them out.

Just kidding.

I charge rent. If someone repeatedly interrupts my brain and starts taking up space inside of it, they have to pay their rent…in edible cookie dough.

My daughter played computer games very loudly yesterday…

What “rent” could you come up with for repeat offenders?

Part of having a space for yourself to work is making sure your housemates respect your workspace. Sometimes consequences need to be outlined in order for some of that R-E-S-P-E-C-T to show up. Consequences don’t have to be harsh, either. You can even make a game out of them. Like whoever is being a pain-in-the-butt has to draw a consequence card. All the consequences will just happen to make your life a little easier or sweeter.

If you’ve been working from home for several weeks now, you may have already learned that certain things work for your family and certain things don’t. It might take trying a few new things, or combining a few different methods, but if this is going to be our norm until at best, the end of the month, your sanity might depend on finding a better solution for your WFH space.

If your WFH space has a door, use it!

Let everyone in your family know that a closed door means you-better-not-bother-me-unless-someone-is-injured. When you’re working on something that requires a little less concentration or taking a break, feel free to open your door up.

And don’t feel bad for a minute that you don’t have an open door policy! You mean business!

If you don’t have a separation between your WFH space and all the craziness (or if everyone is ignoring the closed door policy), consider using a visual aid.

We saw this Mood Alert peg board in Paper Source’s most recent catalog, and we can’t be the only people dog-earring the page it’s on!

Definitely adding this to our carts…

A similar homemade version could also do the trick.

Or, something as simple as a sign reminding what your rules are. You can write on glass with sharpies…did you know that? It comes off with window cleaner in a snap!

Anyway, no one knows your limits more than you, so set some boundaries! It might mean lashing out less and maybe even more time to spend with your favorite distractions after you get your work done! OR more wine time on the couch but whatever.

If you and your partner are both juggling simultaneous ZOOM calls and the walls are too thin, switch off “banishing” each other to a different area of the house. If you both have a daily 10:00 meeting, take turns doing meetings from a less-than-ideal area of the house so neither one of you feels like you’re constantly distracted during calls. It’s only fair!

When you’re the problem…


If these weeks of working from home have got you realizing just how often you get up and walk to the kitchen, buckle up for some tips on how to increase your productivity!

Take 5 minutes in the morning to gather everything you need for the work day. If you’ve got ZOOM meetings all day,  make sure your headset, a notepad and your favorite pen are all within an arm’s reach. If you’re anything like us, getting up from your desk means DISTRACTIONS, so keeping all the essentials in the room you’re working in helps prevent Catching-Yourself-Loading-The-Dishwasher Syndrome (aka CYLTDS. It’s a real thing)

Speaking of getting up from your desk...If you’re finding yourself getting up 994 times a day to re-heat the same half-drank cup of coffee or tea, maybe invest in a desktop mug warmer or even though you’re not traveling, keep your beverage of choice in a good quality Thermos.

We’re a little partial to these…You can find them HERE

If you keep getting up to snack, consider packing yourself a lunch! It sounds silly to pack a lunch when you’re working from home, but it will definitely help minimize distractions.

But honestly, if you forgot to pack chocolate and you reallyreallyreally need chocolate, we won’t tell if you have to make an emergency trip to the kitchen ;) We never question the need for chocolate. Ever.

If you’re the kind of person who needs frequent breaks in order to work effectively, use the timer on your phone to help give yourself a schedule. Set a timer for an hour and a half and give your work 100%, then slip on your tennies and push 15 minutes on your timer and take a quick walk! Or use those 15 minutes to mindlessly scroll through Instagram or TikTok. We won’t judge! Do what you need to do in order to be happy and productive!

Working from home definitely means the lines between work life and home life are blurred (read: nonexistent), but allow yourself some grace. These are crazy times we’re living in, and all we can do is the best we can under these circumstances, and that’s more than enough.

Don’t forget to check in with yourself. Don’t forget about self-care. Take time for yourself. Appreciate the teeny tiny things. Remember how we talked about lighting a candle and writing about what you’re grateful for…That counts as self-care!

We’re getting stronger every day we live through this.

Keep going. You got this!