FocusMate is the tool you didn’t know you needed! Sometimes I need to work-well, ok we all do. I need to work on things that I don’t want to do. Over the years, I’ve learned if I can be in the same space as someone else, it is easier. I like body doubling or co-working, but it’s not really an option for me with the pandemic. As an entrepreneur working from home with ADHD, I’m in control of a lot of time time, surroundings, noise level, etc. However, this is also a problem when discussing the lack of structure. I’m in the habit of being *REACTIVE* to my environment, which is how I set my priorities and stay engaged. Worked well in a customer-facing environment before the pandemic.
What I love about working from home is that it is quiet, and I can do work at my strongest times of the day. However, there’s a lack of social connection and the value of being in the same space where others are working (and helping with my ability to initiate). But getting started can still be a problem. Even when I *WANT* to do the work. Even when I know very clearly *WHAT* am doing. I’ve been hearing about Foucusmate for a while now. Virtual co-working during a pandemic isn’t exactly new. Many of us have been doing this in some fashion or another for upwards of a year now. However, Focusmate doesn’t require me to talk someone I know into being at their computer when I am.
How FocusMate works:
You choose a time to work, and Focusmate pairs you with an accountability partner for a live, virtual coworking session that will keep you on task.
Research in psychology and behavioral science shows that regular human connection reduces the likelihood that a worker will procrastinate or become distracted.
Link: https://www.focusmate.com/about
Focusmate lets me sign up for a 50-minute work session and be paired with a virtual coworker. We both leave the meeting platform open, and our cameras/internet browsers show a person in the window. Knowing there’s a person on the other end who can look up and see me helps. Knowing I will have to tell them what I did or didn’t do at the end of 50 minutes is just enough to push to keep me accountable.
While I miss going elsewhere to work, I’ll keep this in my arsenal for now!
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