Starting a New Journey While Working From Home May Require Some Motivation

Whether you’re starting an exciting new journey of being a freelancer, starting your own business, or simply telecommuting to work due to COVID-19, working from home might seem like a dream come true at first. You no longer have to deal with commuting to and from work, you have more flexible hours, and you are able to keep your costs low. In the beginning, everything might seem perfect.

However, for those who have been working from home for a long period of time will tell you, there are plenty of downsides. Getting motivated to sit at a desk and work can be even harder when you’re surrounded by distractions in your home environment. It’s also all too easy to fall into bad habits such as forgetting to take breaks, working longer hours, procrastinating on projects, and so on.

In general, studies show that people are actually more productive at home than in the office. However, if you feel like that isn’t the case for you, there are some surefire ways you can improve your motivation and productivity. Just know that it will also take some time and trial-and-error on your part before you get into your groove. 

Make a Home Office

There are a lot of benefits of going to a traditional office. You have specific hours where you work, your coworkers give you social interaction, and your boss gives you accountability. At home, you have none of those things. Even if you’re working remotely and you still have a boss, there’s no way for them to actually know when you start and end your workday. Your home is also full of distractions from the TV to your pets/kids to all of the household chores that need to get done.

In order to get into the right mindset, it’s important to set aside an area in your house that is just for work. Your home office should be 100 percent free of distractions. Ideally, you’ll want a room that has a door and locks. You’ll also need to set up ground rules for your family and/or roommates about when they can and cannot come into your office.

Even if you don’t have a spare room for your home office, you can transform a section of a room into your office. That might mean getting dividers so you can literally separate your workspace from your home space. It might seem silly, but this physical separation can put your brain in the right mindset to work. If possible, you should try to avoid having your office set up in your bedroom. The siren call of the bed will be tempting during the day while the anxiety from work will keep you up when you try to sleep. Your bedroom should only be for sleeping.

When looking for a place for your home office, try to set yourself up near a window. Natural light helps improve your mood and motivation. Plus it will give you the opportunity to rest your eyes and look outside. You should also keep your work area clutter-free and make sure you have all the necessary supplies within arm’s reach. While you’re at it, you should also add some decorations to your office such as some plants, career achievements and awards, and so on to get you in the work mood.

Wake Up Early

It’s all too easy to get into the routine of waking up late when you’re working from home. After all, there’s no boss waiting for you at your desk. This is compounded if you tend to be a night owl. Your natural instinct is to stay up late and wake up late.

If you want to stay motivated, however, it’s best to set a specific time to wake up every day. Yes, that includes the weekend. Whether you’re a morning or night person, you should set a schedule that works for you. If you’re telecommuting you should definitely wake up at least one hour before your workday actually starts. This way, you have enough time to eat some breakfast, get ready, and wake up before you start work. Which leads nicely into the next tip:

Create a Regular Routine

Most people do best when they have some kind of schedule or routine. While it might be tempting to just fly by the seat of your pants, more often than not you won’t finish any of the important tasks you needed to get done. In order to manage your time efficiently, you need to create a routine. People are creatures of habit and the more you follow a routine the easier it will get.

When you first start working from home, it’s important to keep an eye on your energy and productivity levels. If you notice that you’re more productive in the afternoon, set a regular work schedule around that time. You don’t need to schedule down to the minute, but it’s probably a good idea to block off chunks of time. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks as well. You can get as detailed as you want, but you should make sure you fit everything important on your schedule including exercise, meals, chores, etc. During your work time, you should create a checklist of items that you need to accomplish with the most pressing/important item first.

As you settle into your routine, you’ll find it easier to accomplish your goals and stay motivated. In the beginning, you may have to adjust your schedule a bit to accommodate for certain tasks taking longer than expected, but once you find the sweet spot, stick with it. If necessary, write down your schedule on a calendar or set calendar reminders on your phone. 

Use Productivity Software

There are dozens of productivity tools available on your phone and computer. Gone are the days where you have to write down your to-do lists. Of course, if writing it down works for you, there’s no reason to stop. Still, these tools can help you stay organized and motivated. Some of the top tools remote workers use are:

• Slack - this communication tool is widely popular among remote and office workers alike. It allows anyone in the channel to chat in a group, share ideas, create specific channels to talk about certain topics, share documents, and more. Slack also integrates with several other software and social media channels.

• Dropbox - Dropbox is one of the leading cloud storage services available. You can easily store important files and organize it so you can easily find what you’re looking for. If you need to share certain files, you can easily do so by sharing a link or inviting people to view that file or folder.

• Asana - If you’ve done any project management you’re probably familiar with Asana. If not, Asana is a task management software that helps you track your projects, view deadlines, and submit work. While this is generally used for teams, you can still set up projects for yourself to keep yourself accountable.

• Trello - Trello is another task management software, but is a bit more user-friendly than Asana. This card-based system allows you to create tasks, assign deadlines, add comments, etc.

Plan on Taking Regular Breaks and Vacations

Many people who work from home, in the beginning, have a hard time separating their work life from their home life and will often work longer hours than they might at the office. It seems like an easy choice to push through breaks to get through the to-do list.

However, studies show that it’s important to take breaks. The breaks can be short, but you should use that time to completely step away from your work. In general, you should aim to take a 10-15 minute break every hour if possible. So how are breaks beneficial? 

• Movement breaks can improve your health. Constant sitting puts you at a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. You should take at least 10 minutes to get up from your chair and move. This might mean walking, stretching, or doing yoga.

• It can reduce decision fatigue. Every day you make hundreds of decisions, big and small. The more decisions you try to make in a row, the more tired your brain gets. Decision fatigue can lead to simplistic decision-making and procrastination. So take some time to just relax and meditate.

• Breaks can restore motivation, especially for long-term goals. There’s some research that shows prolonged attention to a single task can actually reduce performance. If you are working on a large project, step away for a little bit and give your brain a rest. When you get back to work, you’ll feel more refreshed.

• Breaks can help boost creativity. Ever wonder why you get the best ideas in the shower or when you’re just about to fall asleep? It’s because you’re relaxed and not forcing your brain to work overtime. Working for long stretches actually leads to stress and exhaustion, both of which aren’t good for your brain.

While short work breaks are important, it’s also important to actually take a vacation every once in a while. Vacations are essentially long breaks where you get to relax and recharge your batteries. Your body and mind need time to recuperate. If you don’t allow it to, your motivation and productivity will plummet.

Get Dressed For Work

Sure, it’s tempting to stay in your pajamas all day. After all, who is going to see you, but clothing can have a huge effect on your productivity. When you are still in your sleepwear, your brain will think that it’s still in sleep/home mode. Changing into your work or at least regular clothes gives you that mental cue that you are now in work mode. Studies have actually shown that getting dressed for work even at home can increase your overall productivity. Not only that, but it can also boost your confidence and make you feel more powerful. 

You don’t have to wear a full suit when working from home, of course. It’s not necessarily about what you wear, but more about the action of getting into work mode. That means finding the right outfit that gives you that boost of motivation and energy. For some, that might be jeans and a t-shirt. For others, it might be slacks and a button-down. Regardless of what you wear, you want something that is comfortable and turns on that work mode switch.

Eliminate Distractions

Hopefully, by having your own home office you should be partway through removing distractions. Still, there are plenty of other digital distractions such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. that can keep you from work. Many companies block social media platforms specifically to curb distractions. When you’re at home though, there are no firewalls.

If you’re finding yourself spending more time looking on various websites instead of working, it’s time to get rid of those distractions. There are various extensions both Chrome and Microsoft Edge offer to block specific sites. You can choose to block during certain times of the day or block access after you have used up the allotted time. Extensions like these can help reduce the temptation to browse the Internet.

Your personal phone is also a huge distraction. During work hours, make sure to turn it to silent and avoid checking it. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of browsing apps and the internet on your phone. If you find that you can’t stop checking your phone, put it somewhere outside of your office area.

Set Up A Rewards System

The promise of a reward keeps kids motivated and adults are no different. Many large companies provide office perks for employees in the form of outings, free food, gift cards, extra time off, raises, and more. If you’re feeling your motivation drop, consider rewarding yourself when you hit your goals. 

Rewards should scale to the difficulty of the goal. For example, you can reward yourself with a trip to the movies if you finish up your work for the day. Maybe you could go to your favorite restaurant or bar if you finish up your work for the week. This could motivate you to finish earlier.

The type of system doesn’t matter. What matters is that you create something that gets you excited. If your rewards don’t interest you, then you will probably not hit your goals. So really think through what you believe will keep you excited. 

Change of Scenery

During your breaks, take some time to go outside and get some fresh air. It will give you some time to clear your mind, get some vitamin D, and exercise. Try to walk different routes so you’re not seeing the same thing every time you go outside. If you can only walk one route, take some time to really observe your surroundings and try to notice something different every time you go outside. This exercise will keep your brain sharp and also keeps the walks interesting.

If you need a break from your office, the wonderful thing about working from home is that as long as you have your laptop and access to the internet, you can work from anymore. Changing up your routine can help improve your concentration levels and gets you out of the house. If it’s a nice day out, you could try to work at a park. There are also co-working spaces where you can rent a desk for a few hours with other people who are working from home. For some, the busy-ness might be distracting, but other people might find it soothing. Ultimately, you want to find a location that suits your work style.

Working From Home Motivation Tips To Consider

Working from home for many people can be amazing, but it doesn’t come without its downsides. For many people, procrastination and lack of motivation tend to be the biggest issues they face. To successfully work from home, you need to remain organized and disciplined with your routine.

Luckily, the above tips can definitely help you stay on task. It can be difficult at first, but once you figure out a schedule that works for you, you’ll see your productivity increase in no time. Just remember to take breaks and make sure to mentally close the door on your work once you are past your scheduled time. It’s definitely tempting to keep checking work emails, but much like the physical barrier between your home office and the rest of your house, you need to keep that separation between the two so you can have a healthy work-life balance.

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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