Working remotely has now become pretty normal for the average workplace, they either allow their employees to work from home completely, or they have a hybrid plan in place depending on the style of work required.
When the pandemic began at the start of 2020, offices and other businesses scrambled to find ways that they could stay open without putting their workers at risk. This is where working from home came into view, with businesses providing laptops and other equipment to have their employees set up at home and carry on with their work.
A few years have passed now and this style of working remotely is still in effect for quite a few workplaces, and a lot of jobs have opened up to people who want to work remotely, helping workers from across the globe access jobs they may have not had a chance to go for before.
Whilst some people are able to keep their motivation levels normal, others can find this a difficult task, even if they prefer to work from home. Staying motivated can be tough for some, but in this article, we will go over how to stay motivated working from home so that if you are feeling overwhelmed and need to boost productivity, you can put these home motivation tips into practice.
Create a Designated Workspace
You can easily lose motivation if you work from your bed in your pajamas for the whole day. You may think it is fun to do, but without a dedicated workspace that you can sit at and work from, you can become lethargic and unproductive, plus your mental and physical health will suffer due to you lying or sitting up in bed for up to, and over, 8 hours a day. You need a work environment that benefits you.
Own Office Space
If you do not have a spare room to create an office space, then you may want to sit at your dining room table/kitchen table and set up there. To make sure you are seated comfortably, you can purchase a drafting chair in Brisbane (or elsewhere) so that you can spend long hours working without feeling discomfort. If you live with people, make sure that there are some ground rules for using the space and let them know that between the hours of 9 to 5 (or whenever you work), the table is off limits.
However, if you have organized a home office shed, your designated workstation can be made more suitable to get some productive hours in. And while this may depend on the space you have available in your property, it could be one of the best options for you when you begin working from home.
Look Presentable
Being at this workspace with help you stay motivated and stay focused on the tasks at hand, plus, if you ever need to jump on a Skype call with your boss, the backdrop isn’t your bedding with your hair all messy. It may be best to wear some form of professional work attire when you are on a call and save the relaxing weekend wear for when you aren’t being seen!
Organize The Day Ahead
You may want to plan tasks each morning before you log on, or if you prefer, you can spend a few hours at the end of the week compiling what you will need to do over the upcoming days. Having clear and precise objectives can boost your motivation levels and stop you from going off and doing something else that may not be as pressing.
Create a Task List
To make it easier on yourself, you could think about writing a list of tasks that you need to complete by end of the day Friday and tick them off as you go along. You can keep the list next to you or have it on your computer to show your boss that you are on the same page as them and are aware of what you need to do.
This will show them what you are doing to stay focused and how you are handling your tasks. This also shows initiative and can work in your favor when they discuss your competence when working remotely.
Speak To Your Colleagues
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you are a lone worker. You have other people who work alongside you who are also trying to stay motivated and may be finding it difficult, which will have an effect on their stress levels.
Offer Some Guidance
Throughout the day, or when you are on your lunch break, you may want to just check in with them, maybe do a video call every once in a while to have a chat and see how they are. If their productivity levels are a bit shaky maybe you can offer them some help in how they can handle their workload in manageable chunks so that they don’t feel too overwhelmed.
Staying motivated in a remote environment is not an ability everyone has, so try to help them get into the right headspace and see if there is anything that you can do to keep them motivated while working.
Take Regular Breaks
When some people are working from home, they may forget about taking breaks throughout the day. Not only is this good for your mental health, but it can boost motivation levels and help with your energy levels too. Talk to your family members or indulge in short hobbies to help refresh your mind and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Do Some Gentle Exercise
One way to improve focus and break up the working day is to do some exercises. Walking is great for the legs and to get fresh air, but doing something like yoga, can really help with calming down any stress that may occur during the day. Grab a yoga mat and block out some time to do 5-10 minutes of yoga a day.
Take Some Fresh Air
In addition to regular breaks and physical activity, taking in some fresh air can have a profound impact on your well-being while working from home. The environment indoors can sometimes become stuffy and lacking in fresh oxygen, which can affect your concentration and mood. Stepping outside for a few minutes can provide a mental and physical refresh. Whether you have a garden, balcony with stylish glass balustrades, or just a nearby park, spending a short moment in the open air can help clear your mind, reduce stress, and enhance your overall productivity. You’ll find that a breath of fresh air can be particularly revitalizing, allowing you to return to your work with a renewed sense of focus and energy. It’s a simple yet effective way to maintain your mental and physical health during remote work.
Challenge Yourself
Challenging yourself can be a great motivational technique to keep your mind fresh and help with boosting productivity. Once finishing one of the challenging tasks you can give yourself some small rewards to help you stay motivated when working.
For instance, you may want to see how many words you can type within a certain timeframe, or how many tasks you can complete by the end of the day. Whether it is a little challenge or a big challenge, you will feel a sense of accomplishment.
It may still seem like basic work to you, but if you can get this done in one day, you won’t have to do it the next day and you can move on to the next job without falling behind.
Reward Your Hard Work
Your workplace may reward you to help you stay motivated, but it is important to reward yourself as well. Your work life and home life are different now that you work from home. Whilst you may think that you need to work more, you need to set clear boundaries between your work hours and personal time. This is crucial for every worker because it enables you to decompress, which thereby helps you maintain productivity and efficiency.
After a long day or week’s work, you’d want to take time to decompress, and release all that pent-up stress. And what better way to do that than to find ways to reward yourself? For starters, there is an option of indulging in a little self-care session to tap into your inner zen. You could also buy shatter online to add to the mix, and truly unwind during that session. You could even go for drives, have fun with family and friends, and do the things that give you a sense of fulfilment. When you reward yourself for the work you put in, your mental health improves, which is necessary to stay motivated and work well.
Don’t Blur The Lines
You work hard and that doesn’t go unnoticed, but if you push yourself and are not taking regular breaks to break up the day, then you are putting yourself in a position where you are blurring the lines between professional and personal, which shouldn’t happen. Reward yourself for doing your best. Use some of your short breaks to just sit and take a deep breath.
Plan Something Nice
When it gets to the weekend, you may be really tired from the week, whilst you should rest, you may want to think about planning something special for the weekend with your friends or family so you can get that social interaction in and create some memories with those you love. For you to stay motivated, you need to be able to break away from ‘work mode’.
Decorate
Maybe taking some time to decorate your office/workspace at the weekend can make it look better for you to work at. This can also be a motivational technique, as you’ll be working in a space that looks and feels good. Getting rid of clutter or putting art on the walls can make all the difference to your motivation levels.
Conclusion
With these home motivation tips above, you have hopefully been able to see what you need to do to create a work life balance that promotes motivation whilst knowing when to take a break from your job so you are able to have some time for yourself for a good balance.
Working from home doesn’t have to be a worry. As long as you focus on what motivated working means and how you can adapt that to your situation, you will be able to thrive in any environment that you are put in to work.
