How to Boost Motivation When You Work From Home

This is not our usual type of content but our motto is GROW TOGETHER so I wanted to share my experience and tips with you.

Recently, I have noticed that some people are feeling down and demotivated. This may be down to a number of reasons – obviously the current situation, not being used to working from home or cashflow/sales problems.

 

It’s not always easy to maintain motivation when you work from home. Distractions abound. Chores beckon from every room, household members come and go–and they aren’t always considerate regarding your need to be left undisturbed–and the temptation to engage in hobbies on and off during the day makes it hard to stay deskbound.

The answer is to boost motivation, so you don’t succumb to the call of non-work-related activity or boredom. Here’s how to increase your enthusiasm to knuckle down and be productive.

Make plans the day before and prioritise

What happens when the workday starts? Most likely, you switch on the computer and spend a little too long considering which chores to undertake.

Maybe you flick through your emails and loiter on personal messages. Or you nosey around social media sites. “It’s just until I warm up,” you tell yourself, and “the best place to begin will reveal itself.”

The problem with your approach is it doesn’t engender motivation. Lack of clarity about what to do, and tiptoeing into work instead of diving straight in, leaves you apathetic.

Rather than leave your schedule to chance, it’s wise to plan what to do. As a habit, write a list of jobs to accomplish before leaving your desk each evening.

Prioritise, too. Pop the most important job at the top of the list and less significant tasks lower down in succession, so you always do what matters most.

Motivation grows when you prioritise because it leads to satisfaction as you progress. It reduces stress as well, so you fretless and have more time to enjoy work.

Focus on tasks with the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that encourages people to work with the time they have—rather than against it. Using this method, you break your workday into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. These intervals are referred to as pomodoros. After about four pomodoros, you take a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes.

The technique is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Rather than feeling like you have endless time in the workday to get things done and then ultimately squandering those precious work hours on distractions, you know you only have 25 minutes to make as much progress on a task as possible.

Smarten your work-zone

Is your work-zone a pleasure to use? Some workstations are easy to navigate. If yours doesn’t meet the description, it’s time for a revamp.

Keep the equipment you need close so you can reach it with ease and reduce clutter. Mess demotivates: it speaks of stagnation and disorganisation. A tidy table, though, makes working more enjoyable and increases efficiency.

Also, do your best to keep your workstation separate from the place you sleep. Your comfy bed might invite you to enjoy naps when you should work.

Dress for work

Tempted to stay in your pajamas? Think again. What you wear impacts your mood and sends a message to your subconscious. You associate sleep and relaxation with nightclothes, so donning them won’t raise your energy and enthusiasm to work.

Lay out, smart and comfortable clothes the night before you need them and it will be easy to shed nightwear and slip on a productive mindset.

Once you have put your clothes on fix your hair and sort yourself just like it is a workday.

Exercise

During this time take advantage of your daily exercise. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the feel-good chemical production that stems from working out. When you don’t move your body enough, it stiffens. You develop aches and pains, and sitting at your desk becomes uncomfortable.

Walk, jog, or visit your local gym and stay active, and discomfort won’t steal your motivation to work.

Avoid distractions

Setting your own schedule may be a joy. Nonetheless, make sure you don’t indulge in mindless activities whenever the opportunity strikes. Facebook, Medium, Twitter, YouTube: these and many more online networks could distract you if you let them.

Be strict with human distractions, too. Ensure your family and friends understand you don’t want them to disturb your flow and steal time while you’re at your desk.

 

Working from home doesn’t need to be tiresome and leave you unproductive and blue. Use the motivation tips above, and your enthusiasm and output can thrive.