(The following is an excerpt from Charles Epstein’s monthly NSFW column that appears in WorldatWork’s Workspan and #evolve publications.)
As a work-at-home veteran I’m often asked by home office newbies how I avoid all the distractions. Studies have shown that the pandemic has caused spikes in presenteeism, which is when your body is present and accounted for, but your mind and spirit have drifted into another zip code. With so many working from home for the first time in their careers, getting a lick of work done with your spouse, kids and pets underfoot and life randomly happening around you, can be a challenge. When someone asks how I do it, I tell them I don’t, I actually welcome the distractions…and once I have their divided attention, explain why.
Some will happily share the tips and tricks they use to ward off unwelcome home office intrusions: ear buds, blinders, steep penalties for family members invading your converted man cave. Others will insist that you eventually become “nose blind” and get used to it. These are temporary fixes lulling you into a false sense of security that will inevitably leave you vulnerable when you’re under pressure and the routine distractions – a resurfaced argument from a work-at-home spouse, a colicky toddler or an Instacart delivery that replaced two jars of salsa with 6 beefsteak tomatoes – become the equivalent of a five car pile up that turns a half hour commute into a three hour ordeal, causing missed deadlines, unsympathetic bosses and unforgiving clients.
What has worked for me is a form of mental jujitsu where I use distractions to my advantage. I’m at my most creative when everything is in soft focus – in fact, several of my most inspired moments emerged from complete chaos. Clarity and a well laid out path deprive me of the randomness that produces my best work. Distractions allow my mind to wander and go to places I’d never dream of going if I were more on task and locked in. Granted, there are parts of the day and specific left-brain tasks that require more disciplined focus, but even if you spend the day balancing numbers in a spreadsheet, a brief mindless stroll can have restorative effects when you meander back to the grind.
