• Question: Do you ever find it difficult to stay focused on your research when working from home? How do you manage this?

    Asked by anon-303181 to Caitlin on 4 Nov 2021.
    • Photo: Caitlin Sorrell

      Caitlin Sorrell answered on 4 Nov 2021:

      Well, sometimes I find that it is difficult to concentrate, and I can get easily distracted by my cat, or develop a sudden urge to hoover the carpets or empty the dishwasher. Sometimes I even just find myself wasting time on Facebook. But at other times, the world around me can disappear and I get so excited by what I’m doing that my partner has to come and remind me that I need to stop because it’s getting late.
      I’ve now come to accept that there are times when focus comes naturally and times when it really won’t come at all. I try and make the most of the focused times and relax and don’t beat myself up too much about the unproductive times.
      If I really can’t concentrate, I now try and stop, go for a walk or go and do something else for a limited period of time, then sit back down and try again.
      The good thing about a PhD is it is measured over a longer period of time, so as long as you are making enough progress overall, it doesn’t matter if some days are better than others.

Comments

  • Photo: Michelle

    Michelle commented on :

    Absolutely! I think that’s pretty standard and affects lots of people in different aspects of work. There’s always going to be distractions but it’s all about how you manage them. I find that chunking my tasks so that they are broken down into smaller bits and taking regular breaks in fresh air helps me the most. Also using instrumental music in the background can help to motivate me (songs with lyrics don;t work as I want to join in and sing and then I just get carried away!). I often use rewards for completing things, to help me keep working through bits of research that are tricky – they’re usually food related!

  • Photo: Emma

    Emma commented on :

    Yes, who doesn’t! I often find myself lost in a hole on Twitter or wandering into the kitchen hunting for snacks. However, I do have things I find that help. First I find a working pattern that works best for me and schedule in breaks. I like to go for a walk in the middle of the day to recharge and get some fresh air. Also, when I am doing tasks like writing, try to put my phone on do not disturb or I have an app on my phone called Forest which grows trees whilst you work and stops you from going on your phone which I find helpful. There’s lots of other apps out there if you need an extra push to focus 🙂

  • Photo: Esra

    Esra commented on :

    I feel the reverse. I find i get more work done at home but get soooo distracted in the office. I dont feel like the set up is right, im not comfortable because i need my dressing gown and i procrastinate as a result. So i prefer the balance of having days at home with some days in the office to be sociable.