Hey! Hope you're staying safe, healthy, and sane. Any tips for finding time/space to write while stuck at home with a large family?
Hello! Thank you so much, I hope you are as well! This can be such a scary time and I really hope you are staying safe too <3
The tips that come to the top of my mind are:Ā
1. Noise Cancelling HeadphonesĀ If you have them, they are amazing when you are not in a quite space. You can put on some instrumental music, listen to rain/ambient noise or nothing all all, but they should help you focus if you are stuck around a lot of people!Ā
2. EarplugsIf you donāt have noise cancelling headphones, or you are just more of a silent worker, order some cheap earplugs online! I use earplugs sometimes if I am working on loud floors in the library, but I can imagine they would be really helpful around a noisy family!
3. Make your Own SpaceIf you are able to, even if it is just a corner of your room or a chair in the living room, have a designated space where you write. This can help you get into theĀ āwriting mood,ā and you can also tell your family that when you are in the space, you are trying to get some work done, so hopefully they wont distract you.
4. Be HonestWhen I go home, sometime I canāt focus simply because there are other people around, and I feel like I am missing out on something/should be hanging out with them. If this is a problem for you, I find just telling your family that you need to get some work done and you are going to go MIA for a few hours can really help with that guilty feeling. Sometimes it can make you more productive as well, because other people are expecting you to be working so you wont procrastinate!
5. All the UsualAnd I think all the usual tips about being productive from home apply here too. Donāt stay in bed, change out of your pajamas, stick to a schedule, ect. These are things that can help give you a bit more time in the day!Ā
6. Be Kind to YourselfThis is a weird time. It can hard if you are not used to working from home, to suddenly try to achieve everything from your couch. Donāt feel bad if you are not as productive as usual. For many of us, our house is the place we relax at the end of the day, and we donāt have that āproductive mindsetā in that space. It can take a while to get used to working at home. And there is also so much happening on a daily basis,it can be hard to focus when it feels like the world is in disarray! So be kind to yourself, do what you can remember that you are doing your best, and donāt be hard on yourself for taking life a little slower.Ā
Those are my tips! I donāt work around my family often, and I am drawing off of my experience when I go home for reading breaks/Christmas. So if anyone has any other tips please add them!!Ā
Hope I was at least slightly helpful :)