More people than ever now find themselves working from home and many of them are not there through choice. It is incredibly important to find ways to keep up motivation and productivity whilst working from home. We all know it isn’t easy. Picking up your phone and scrolling through social media can be all too tempting whilst not under the watchful eyes of managers and colleagues. Here are our top 7 tips for staying motivated whilst working from home.
- Dress for work
As tempting as it may be to remain in your PJs, you will instantly feel more energised and focused if you get up and get changed. Some people even find going as far as putting shoes on helps them feels like they are really at their desk and ready for work.
Dress for the occasion and you will see your focus grow. I personally find I do everything much better with a bit of lippy on!
- Organise your day
Make lists! There really is no better feeling than seeing a big tick next to each task you have to complete. By making yourself a to-do list you can set out a clear journey for your day, and make your way through it, one job at a time.
If you have several projects on the go, time blocking is a fantastic way to approach this. Set yourself a certain amount of time to spend on each thing, and ensure you stick to these times and move on when you need to.
- Create a good workspace
Creating a clean, bright workspace will make a huge difference to your focus whilst working from home. Find an area that can be your own, away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house. The last thing you want is for another member of the house to have moved your notepad from the dining table the previous night and not know where to find it.
If you are living in a shared house and don’t have this luxury, open your curtains, clear away any mess, allow yourself to focus.
4. Give yourself breaks
When working at the office, most workers will demand their lunch break in full and ensure they escape the office for it. So why do we then spend our lunch breaks at home, sat at our desks? Get up, sit in a different room, go outside if you can. Take your eyes off the computer screen and take your mind somewhere else for a while. You will return feeling rejuvenated.
- Create a morning routine
For many, a huge benefit of the WFH life is that they can roll out of bed and directly into work. However, the journey into work is often what sets us up for the day. Try and get out in the mornings, whether it’s a run around the park or just a quick walk to the shops, get yourself moving and get some fresh air. Leave time to make and eat breakfast, or before you know it, you’ll be three zoom meetings in and realise you never did put on that toast!
- Find an Accountability buddy
For many, this could be a work colleague or manager. Let them know what you plan to get done that day, and report back at the end of the day with how it went. Having someone hold you accountable will very quickly increase your productivity. If you work for yourself, use a close friend or buddy up with another self-employed individual and help each other to stay motivated. Whilst you may be physically working alone, in many cases, you have team members working on similar projects, reach out to them.
- Self-motivation
Sometimes, you just have to invest the time to motivate yourself. Books, podcasts, and webinars are a great way to do this. Refind your passion, remember why you started. Find out our CEO Liam Norval’s top 3 Podcasts and AudioBooks here.
These are just a few ways to help stay motivated whilst working from home. It’s important that you experiment with these and find out what works for you.
