It's tough to avoid distraction without a dedicated workspace. Try as you might, willpower alone won't save you every time. And adding a whole new office room to your home is impractical in most cases.
So should you give up and walk into the sea? Not quite yet, here are six tips for having a productive workday on your personal computer.
1. Try a Clean Desktop
“Out of sight, out of mind”, as the saying goes. If you don't see your distractions every time you move or minimize a window, it will be much easier to resist them.
If you remove all desktop icons, you have to search for your apps instead. This deliberateness makes it harder to get sidetracked.
There's nothing wrong with a cluttered desktop if that's how you work, though. For a middle ground, consider tucking your messengers and games into folders. Meanwhile, your work apps and shortcuts should remain accessible on the desktop.
2. Use a Different Browser
You don't need to buy a whole new computer to leave your browsing data behind. The easiest way to make sure you aren't distracted online is to use a different browser for work. You may even find that a different browser plays nicer with your work websites and web apps.
When you set up your second browser, don't import your bookmarks. Rather, just take a minute or two to find and bookmark the sites you need for work. Unless you require them for work, it's also a good idea to disable notifications in your work browser.
3. Use a Site Blocker
Whether you switch to a different browser or not, a site blocker can help cut out distractions. These are apps that prevent you from accessing a specified set of websites while enabled.
We recommend Cold Turkey. Cold Turkey is a free, desktop-only blocker that blocks both websites and applications. The developers have made it impossible to cheat. But it's still flexible, so you can avoid being blocked during your off-time. It works for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
4. Use Virtual Desktops
If you're running Windows 10 or later, you can use virtual desktops to create a virtual workspace. This works best with a clean desktop, since shortcuts and the taskbar show on all desktops.
To create a virtual desktop, press the Windows key and Tab at the same time. Click and drag apps between desktops, or right-click an app and enable show this window on all desktops.
5. Manage Startup Apps
It's tempting to have social apps start on boot, so you can see your messages immediately. But this makes them much harder to ignore. It's better to limit this permission to work apps, instead.
On Windows, you can manage startup apps by looking for Startup Apps in Windows Search. Toggle work-related apps on, and social media or gaming apps off. It's easier to turn off a work app when you're done for the day than to turn off fun apps when you're trying to work.
6. Stick to a Schedule
It's easier to resist the temptation to slack off if you have a schedule. See, one reason it's hard to ignore fun activities is what psychologists call FOMO: the Fear Of Missing Out.
FOMO is that worry that by doing one thing, you're depriving yourself of something better. For instance, that by focusing on work, you're missing out on social time. By scheduling dedicated time for leisure, you remove the worry that you'll miss out.
This can also help if your work computer is in a shared space, like the kitchen. You can block off a specific time for work, and ask roommates or family members to avoid disturbing you during it. This is easier than making them guess whether you're working or taking a break.
There are various ways of making your own schedule. Whichever you choose, make sure you ask someone to keep you accountable for it.
Have a Productive Workday on Your Personal Computer
If you cut out distractions and manage your time, you can be just as productive at home as in an office.
But to maximize your productivity, you should also find a focus technique that works for you.