If there is one thing editors dislike entirely, it is being distracted while they are trying to work. For editors who work at home like me, distractions can abound more so than at an office. A few weeks ago, I blogged about the vent on the wall right above my desk that rattles and makes white noise. I wish it were the only distraction at home that I must fight.

I never do laundry during the workday. The washer, a modern front-loader, is a blessing to my husband and me for getting our clothes, sheets, and towels clean, but it sits in a utility closet which is right across from the small bedroom that we have turned into our office (i.e., where I work). I can hear it well whether it is filling up with water (loud) or draining (also loud). And the thing can be near deafening during the final spin, depending on how the laundry inside has fallen. Thankfully, it is quiet when it is tumbling. But the sounds tend to make me anxious, no matter how normal they are for the machine.  When I am editing, I do not need extra anxiety.

I also never run the dishwasher during the workday. The dishwasher is another blessing to my husband and me, and unlike the clothes washer, it runs quietly—no louder than our refrigerator. So why does it distract me? Because even while I am editing, the very back of my mind hears the soft cadence of its water swishing and the sucking sounds it makes while it is draining. If any of these noises suddenly start to sound abnormal, I panic, for it must mean that something is wrong with the dishwasher. And then I need to stop my Toggl timer before running out to the kitchen—and Heaven help me if I forget to stop the timer. (The dishwasher—though it is a blessing—was installed incorrectly in 2018 and we did not learn of this until 2021. If I step too hard on the floor near it, it sometimes stops in midcycle.)

If you work at home, what are some of your biggest distractions?