How to Stay Motivated When Working From Home

How to Stay Motivated When Working From Home

There is this idea that once a corporate office has been traded for the home working environment, then it’s only a matter of time before productivity disappears to be exchanged for lolling about on cushions and watching daytime TV.

Here are some ways to stay motivated when working from home.

Get into a Routine
Just because no one is monitoring what time you arrive at the office, it doesn’t mean you can stay in bed until lunchtime. Set a sensible time for getting up each day and stick to it. Research indicates that rising early makes people more productive. Attempt to become aware of when you are working at your peak. If this takes place in the morning, you don’t want to sleep through it.

Try to have a working space that is not in the bedroom. Work often means stress, so having that association with the place you sleep is counter-productive. Additionally, sitting on your bed to work may not do wonders for your motivation. Having an actual office in your home will delineate work and home more clearly and should be a useful stimulus for mentally getting into the work zone.

It may be helpful to have a plan for your day, with set times for when certain tasks are accomplished. There are plenty of apps to help with this, and when it comes to keeping accounts, an accessible cloud-based solution can assist here.

Dress for Success
This is also a psychological tactic for getting into the work zone. Slouching in pyjamas will probably mean that mentally you are relaxing in leisure wear. Clothing can have a symbolic meaning with a significant effect on attitude. The efficient home worker should be aim to be dressed as if going to work and sitting at their desk at the same time every morning to make the most of their day. If you dress lazily, that may spill over into acting lazily too.

Break the Sedentary Cycle
Most office jobs involve a lot of sitting at a desk. When working from home, everything you need is right there so that probably means you are moving around even less. Schedule time for exercise – it may seem like taking time out of the day, but there are many long-term benefits for health, not to mention making you fitter, sharper and more energetic. More energy will mean more discipline and motivation. There are plenty of home workouts that can take less than half an hour. Regular exercise is the key to feeling good, being in great shape and nurturing an alert mind. Exercise is better earlier in the day than later, as it increases the metabolism.

Treat Yourself
There will always be temptations at home, but you can use them as motivational tools. Work solidly for two hours, finish a big project and maybe you have earned the right to watch an episode of that cable drama. As with many things in life, the key thing is balance, and doing a solid chunk of work can justify calling a friend to make plans for some well-earned weekend fun.

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