For me, fighting distraction is one of the hardest parts about freelance writing. In fact, this was nearly a constant struggle for me over the past year.

Avoid distractions as a freelance writer

First, a global pandemic hit and everything shut down. My kids were home from school for about six months, and I constantly worried about whether they were getting what they needed.

And every day, it seemed like there was more bad news and political drama on the TV. In some ways, it’s a wonder I accomplished any work at all in 2020!

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually wrote 455 client articles in 2020.

And that doesn’t include the blog posts and emails I wrote for my own website, as well as the course I created. Guess I’m better at focusing than I thought!

How to avoid distractions as a freelancer

As a freelancer, distractions are going to happen, but there are ways to manage them. Here are six tips for minimizing distractions and staying focused on your work.

1. Get ready for the day

I know, I know.

One of the advantages of working from home is that you can hang out in your pajamas and no one is the wiser.

And if you can do that and stay focused during the day, then more power to you.

But personally, I find that I am more productive when I get ready for the day.

That’s why I always take a shower, fix my hair, do my makeup, and put on an actual outfit (with shoes!).

It’s interesting to me how some people make getting dressed seem like something you do for other people.

Personally, I do it for myself -- because I feel better and take myself and my work more seriously when I know I look nice.

2. Have a designated home office

I have a home office in my basement, and occasionally, I get tired of working there.

But time and time again, I’ve found that when I try to “change things up” and work on the couch in my living room, I get far less work done.

Every freelancer needs a designated home office, or at least a spot in their home where they always do their work.

If you’re short on space, pick a spot where you know you’ll be able to minimize distractions and focus.

It’s also a good idea to keep your office neat so you’re not distracted by piles of paper or tempted to clean up during the day. And make sure any materials you need are always available.

3. Schedule your day

One of the best and worst things about freelancing is that you are in control of your own time. There’s no boss letting you know what time you need to be at work, or holding you to any deadlines.

It’s great, because it gives you the flexibility to create the schedule and life you want. But the downside is that’s all too easy to throw the schedule out the window and just wing it.

Do yourself a favor and choose office hours for yourself. This is a set period of time when you write every day. It will be hard at first, but it’ll get easier once you’ve stuck to it for a while.

And if you have a family or work at home with kids, regular office hours will make it easier for them to know what to expect too.

In particular, it can help to remind kids of your office hours when they’re tempted to come interrupt you during the day.

4. Don’t do chores during the day

It’s so easy to get derailed by chores!

You come upstairs to fix yourself some lunch or get a cup of coffee, and the first thing you see is a sink full of dishes.

And then you remember that you need to do a load of laundry.

Pretty soon, you have a clean house but you’ve lost an hour or two of work.

Do yourself a favor and just decide ahead of time that you’re not going to do chores during the day.

Plan some time to clean in the morning or in the evening after you’re done working. Or if you have kids home during the day, assign those chores to them.

5. Take regular breaks

No one can write for hours on end so it’s important to plan breaks throughout your day. I think the key is to choose to spend your breaks in a way that actually recharges you.

I love watching YouTube as much as the next person, but that’s probably not going to do much to improve your focus. Try taking a walk, making lunch, meditating, or listening to music.

If you want to check social media, do it in a constructive way. Use that time to network with other freelancers in Facebook groups.

Or you can spend time looking for jobs on LinkedIn or Twitter.

6. Track your progress

And finally, I think the best way to hold yourself accountable is by tracking your progress.

For me, this looks like tracking how much money I earn every week and how many articles I’ve written.

I have a calendar that I keep in my office and every time I finish writing an article, I write down how much money I earned. Then at the end of the day, I add up how much I earned for that day.

This is helpful for a couple of reasons. First, it helps me see how much progress I’m making.

I felt like 2020 was a bust until I evaluated my year and saw how much I had actually accomplished.

But it can also help you see where you’ve fallen off track. If you have a low income month, you can evaluate what went wrong and how you can adjust things going forward.

Final thoughts on distractions

One of the biggest things that keeps me focused on freelancing is remembering that my time is money.

If I slack on my work, my income is going to take a serious hit the following month.

One of the biggest ways I’ve been able to streamline my productivity is by using Upwork to find clients.

I spend roughly 20-30 minutes a day sending proposals, and am able to bring in a steady stream of clients and income. To learn more about how I do this, be sure to check out some of my blog posts on Upwork.