Do you ever have days when the little things in life seem to be fighting to keep you from getting any work done? Relatives, children, neighbors, errands to run and even our own mental chatter can all hinder our work day performance. Here are some suggestions to help you alleviate some of the most common distractions people face when working from home.



For many people, running a home-based business means the freedom to spend precious time with children and family. If you have young children underfoot throughout the day, it is easy to be drawn away from work. Staying busy during nap times and after the children have gone to bed can be helpful. During the afternoons, you can hire a teen aged 'mothers helper' to come in for a few hours, or go all out and hire a Nanny. Even 10 hours a week of quiet, uninterrupted time will help you drive your home business forward.

The internet plays a big part in many home business enterprises, but it's easy to get sucked into reading and surfing when you need to be focusing on business. Replying, deleting, and managing emails can become a drain on your time if done too frequently. Try checking your emails no more than 3 times a day, and deleting unwanted emails only once a day, in the evening. You will be surprised how much time this will free up for you to do more important tasks.

If you are looking for specific information on the internet, find what you need quickly and then get out. Sign yourself off of messenger services, and by all means stay away from chat rooms, forums and blogs until you have completed your work for the day.

Use a voice mail service to take your phone calls if you don't wish to talk on the phone. Make sure to turn the ringer off so you won't be distracted. Set aside a specific block of time each day to call contacts and follow up. Stick to your plan.

Running errands can be done at specific times during the week, such as on Wednesday between 1 and 3. Going out for just one errand 2 to 4 times a week is a waste of energy, time and gas. Get it all done in one afternoon and don't worry about it for the rest of the week.

Housework is not everyone's favorite activity. If you avoid it, you'll get overwhelmed. If you are spending too much time on it, you have little time for your business and family. It helps if you delegate some of the responsibility to other family members. Break up the chores by doing 15 minutes worth of cleaning several times a day. This has the added benefit of getting you up out of your desk chair and moving. If finances allow, you can hire a cleaning service to assist you with the chores that you really dislike doing.

Putting these suggestions into practice will keep the distractions to a minimum and ensure your home business will run more smoothly.