Working from home is one of the perks to becoming a forex trader, along with the chance to be your own boss, setting your own flexible hours, and so on. However, some home-based traders might struggle to adjust to working from home instead of being in an actual workplace environment. After all, there are a lot of distractions in our home, like the sounds of television or the radio in the background, kids playing, a significant other trying to talk to us – any of these distractions can be frustrating for a trader that just needs to concentrate. If you’re struggling to focus while trading from home, try following these pro tips to help yourself cut back on distractions:
Tip #1: Set a Predefined Time to Trade Each Day
The first thing you should do is decide when is the best time of day to trade in your household. You’ll want to avoid chaotic times and trade when you’re feeling focused. For some, the best time might be after having a morning cup of coffee, for others, it may be better to get a late-morning or early-afternoon start. Although trading offers flexible hours, having a predefined time to trade also helps with the ever-important discipline that traders need to master. Another plus is that trading during the time of day when you feel most productive has been proven to provide better results.
Tip #2: Get Away from Background Noise
If you live alone, this shouldn’t be much of a problem, but you should still think about background noises that might be distracting you, like a leaky faucet. If you live with someone else (especially children), it’s a good idea to dedicate your own space to trading so that you can have some peace and quiet. If you already have an office or can change a room in your house into one, that would be the best option, but your bedroom or back porch could work just as well. Try asking your loved ones not to disturb you whenever you’re in the place where you work, simply let them know what time you’ll be finished and ask them to wait until then if possible. After all, trading forex is still like a job and requires focus.
Tip #3: Only Visit Certain Websites While You’re Working
It’s easy to get distracted online. Maybe a Facebook notification pops up at the bottom of your screen and you decide to check it really quickly…only to find yourself mindlessly scrolling your news feed for hours instead. Or an interesting news article could come up and grab your attention. We’ve all been there. Whatever it is that usually takes your mind off your work, you need to restrict yourself from it during trading hours. Stick with trading-related websites and consider putting your phone on silent and turning off notifications when you need to concentrate. Remember that one distraction can really take away from your focus and cause you to lose money.
