Working at a computer all day is tiring in its own way, because everything is one click away, including everything that isn’t your work. A few habits make the day lighter.
Plan the day in blocks
Plan blocks with breaks in between instead of «work until 5». 50/10 suits a full day, since a short bell and a break every hour keep the hours from blurring together. The guide to Pomodoro for working from home has a sample routine.
Close what you don’t need
Every extra tab and notification pulls a little. For each block keep only what the task needs, and leave chat apps for the break.
Take breaks away from the screen
A break on another screen rests neither your eyes nor your attention. Stand up, look at something far away, drink water or step outside for a minute.
Set up the desk
A good chair, a screen at a comfortable height and enough light go a long way. Small changes are collected in a low-distraction desk setup, and the desk picks list products for them.
Add a steady sound
Open offices and busy homes are full of sudden noise, and a steady sound smooths it out. If you use the same one every day it becomes a signal that focus time has started. The brown noise guide explains how brown differs from pink and white.
End each block with a note
Before the break, write one line with where you stopped and what comes next, so you don’t spend the first minutes afterwards remembering. The Pomodoro timer is free and runs in your browser, and the Pomodoro Finder has full sessions ready to play.
