During these trying times, it can be very difficult to find one’s motivation and maintain it throughout the day. While working from home (WFH) is now being widely accepted as part of the new normal, people are still adjusting to their current work situation and its intrusion into their personal lives. Sometimes, it’s vice versa, with employees getting distracted by family members while they are finishing rush deadlines for online submission to their bosses. Add the fact that we are living in uncertain times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other negative things happening in the world today, it is easy to lose motivation and hope even if there is promise of better working conditions and future with WFH.
Do you feel your motivation flagging while working from home? Here are 10 ways to stay motivated while working from home.
1) Establish a routine
A demotivating factor about WFH is that people cannot find a clear boundary and balance between their work and personal life. With WFH, you work longer hours because of the elimination of two to three hours per day of daily commute. However, setting this boundary can be done by establishing a routine.
Start by firmly setting the hours that you will be working. Talk with your bosses that you will not do any work or receive any communications from the office outside of your working hours. In the same vein, speak to your family that you are not to be disturbed when you are working.
Part of your routine should include personal time in the mornings and in hours after work. Exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and have a cup of coffee in the morning. To get you jumpstarted for work, consider wearing comfortable but chic clothes so that you will look presentable in cases of video chats or meetings. After work, shut off your computer. Cook dinner for the family and enjoy a TV show or play games with them.
2) Plan your day
Schedule all your activities for the day. Start with the work that you need to do. Work that needs to be submitted at the end of the day should be done first. For additional motivation, you can also prioritize work that energizes you and can get them done faster.
Work to be submitted in a week can be done after finishing the priorities. You can allot 20 to 30 minutes to doing parts of this work per day. Make sure that you also include breaks in your schedule.
Having a schedule prevents you from doing work beyond your designated work hours.
3) Declutter and organize
Clutter has a way of affecting your mental health by elevating the stress hormone cortisol. Make it a point to add decluttering to your weekly schedule. Throw away all trash, paper, and other unnecessary items. Organize all hard copy files on your desk as well as in filing cabinets.
Take note that even the files in your computer need to be organized too. Delete all unnecessary documents and software. Organize your files into folders. You should also clear out your email inbox of past emails and retain the important ones with vital information.
4) Set a dedicated workspace in the home
It is important to set a room or space in your home for work. Choose the location where you can work quietly and with minimal distractions from your family and the neighborhood.
Never work in your bed. When you start associating work with your bed, you may find yourself having difficulty sleeping. Lack of sleep is not only demotivating, but it can also affect your productivity the next day.
5) Observe the Pomodoro Technique
While commonly used by students to get ahead in their studies, the Pomodoro Technique is just as effective for WFH. Get your schedule. Finish a task within 20-30 minutes. Then, take a very short break of five to 10 minutes then start doing the task again. This technique helps to strengthen your focus, concentration, and sense of accountability. If you know that you need to get a job done within half an hour, there is very little chance for you to procrastinate and divert your attention to social media and other distractions.
6) Limit interruptions and distractions
You may have noticed how difficult it is to get your focus and energies back when you are interrupted or distracted while working. Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode or mute your notifications. Train yourself to check your messages every hour. If your kids are frequent distractions, give them something to occupy their time, such as household chores to do or interesting games to play.
7) Challenge yourself
You can break the tedium of work by pushing yourself through challenges. For example, if you find yourself slowing down while typing your paperwork, challenge yourself by seeing how many words you can type in 15 minutes. If you have been struggling with a certain problem in your work, focus on it alone and try to come up with a solution.
8) Reward yourself
Of course, when you have challenged yourself or accomplished the work for the day, make sure that you reward yourself. You can set small rewards for every task you finish, like a piece of your favorite chocolate or a bag of healthy of snacks. At the end of the day, you can choose to reward yourself with an hour or two on Netflix or listening to your favorite podcast.
9) Practice emotion regulation
The reason why you may have been having difficulties in finishing tasks is because of negative emotions that have been stirred up and are related to the task. Demotivation occurs because you want to avoid arousing these uncomfortable, negative feelings.
Whenever these emotions arise, stop work and try to analyze what you are feeling. Acknowledge that these feelings are valid, but they should not take precedence over your work. Always remind yourself that, when you get the work done, you are sure to feel good again.
10) Practice self-care thru unplugging
Usually, when we think about self-care, you are reminded that you need to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. But part of self-care is steering yourself away from people and things that demotivate you. For example, if you are having problems with your spouse or partner, consider doing your work in a library or café instead of at home.
While it’s okay to be updated on world current events, you don’t need to be bombarded by negative news all the time. If you find yourself getting worked up over news about COVID-19 and other negative reports, then turn off your TV and social media.
Let these 10 tips help you to stay motivated while working from home!
