7 Ways to Stay Motivated when Working from Home
With technology on the rise, jobs have become more flexible at allowing employees to work remotely. Coming in to the office is not as essential as it used to be in order to perform a typical week's worth of work hours. You can work from home, a coffee shop, the library, or just about anywhere that you can find WiFi connection.
Working from home eliminates the hassles of commuting, dealing with traffic, and the basics like wasting gas and paying tolls. However, working from home is not always as wonderful as it seems and it can actually become a place of distraction, unproductivity, and hinder motivation. Instead of letting working from home come in-between your productivity, use it to your advantage to have a healthy work/life balance, stay organized, and achieve more in the day.
Here are some ways you can stay motivated and create a positive work environment at home:
1. Create your Ideal Work Space
Creating a dedicated work space at home, a coffee shop, or wherever you choose to work from is critical. When you have a space dedicated only to business, it is less likely for you to get distracted because you have your own office-like environment. Arrange the area in a way that makes you feel comfortable, productive and as if you're right at the office. Just make sure it doesn't feel like you're lounging at home or relaxing at the local coffee shop.
2. Wake up to Work
Although you don't have to report to work at an office every morning, it doesn't mean you don't have to wake up early to work. Wake up at the regular morning hours that people usually go to work, 8 or 9 sounds ideal. You can even get up a little earlier to start your day bright and early and be productive for more hours in the day. If you wake up first than anyone else in your household then you'll also have more time without distractions. Waking up later in the day means productive time has been wasted and you probably won't take working as seriously since you're not setting a schedule for yourself in the morning.
3. Set Reminders
If you work at an office, chances are you'll constantly be reminded by your colleagues about certain tasks or meetings. However, when you're working from home or a remote space it's important to set reminders on your phone or in your calendar. This will help you stay on track and remind you of tasks that need to get done throughout the day and any virtual meetings you may need to attend. Since you're working at your own pace, you may forget to switch tasks or that you need to meet certain deadlines.
4. Take a Break
Give yourself the break you deserve as if you were working at an office. Take an actual lunch break in order to help your mind pause, refresh, and improve focus once you're back to work. Although you're working remotely, you still need to take a break like any other employee would and it'll also help you stay within a work-like environment.
5. Limit Social Media Time
Social media is one of the biggest distractions at work and even outside of work. Don't waste a day's worth of productivity by scrolling endlessly through social media. Be strict with yourself when it comes to picking up your phone to use social media. Here's a suggestion: Before your day begins, log out of your social media platforms and if you want to be really strict, delete the apps until your work day is officially over.
6. Stay Connected with your Team
Stay in constant communication with your team in order to be in the loop with what's going on within the business. Working from home can get lonely and you may feel a bit distant and isolated. Make sure to touch base with your colleagues everyday via phone calls, meetings, or emails. This will also improve communication between each other and allow you to stay organized and updated.
7. Know when your Day is Over
When you work from home it can be easy to fall into a trap of staying connected 24/7. Set a schedule for yourself which marks the beginning and end of your work day. Stay away from your emails or company messaging app beyond the normal working hours. Take that time to focus on your personal life like working out, spending time with your family and friends, or simply relaxing on the couch.