Have you been finding it difficult to motivate yourself to get work done at home? Are you doing most of your work from your living room couch? We know it’s hard to keep upbeat with the current global situation, but we at USM have found that making small, achievable changes daily help to brighten up your day. So here are 5 ways to keep motivated while working from home.
1. Finding a routine that works for you:
During lockdown, it is essential to find a routine that you enjoy. Setting aside one hour of your morning to focus on things you know will put a smile on your face, boost your mood and transform you for the rest of your day. You could take the time to write in a journal, that first hour of your day could be spent unloading anything you have weighing on your mind. You could go on a run, brisk walk, yoga or even making a nice healthy breakfast. This will make sure you have something to look forward to at the start of every day.
2. Creating a dedicated workspace:
It is super important to create a good workspace when it comes to staying motivated while working from home. As easy as it may be to curl up on your bed with your laptop, separating your sleep and workspace is vital. Associating your bed with work can have long-lasting effects on your sleep so differentiating the two is very important. Our advice is to find a spot in your house with a good amount of sunlight and set up your desk in a way that makes you and your posture happy, making sure to adjust the height of your laptop, monitors and seat accordingly.
3. Selfcare days:
Having self-care days can also help keep you motivated. Setting self-care activities for a job well done will help push you to complete tasks while having something to look forward to. Massage is great for both self-care and mental/physical rejuvenation. It can also help with any back pains or posture issues you may have from your old workplace setup. Your massage may even be covered by your workplace as a benefit, so make sure to check with a manager.
4. Limiting your distractions:
Making sure to silence your phone or moving away from the TV could increase your productivity and motivate you to get more work done. If you’re an avid phone user, a solution could be setting 30-minute timers, for these 30 mins you work with no interruptions, no checking your phone, no getting up. After a successful 30 mins, you get 5/10 mins to stretch your body, get a snack whatever you feel like doing that gets you moving. Then it’s back to work for the next 30. Do this till you’ve completed your work.
5. Rewarding yourself for all your hard work:
You’ve made it through an incredibly difficult year. You’ve adapted to a huge change and for that, you should reward yourself. It’s easy to feel stuck or anxious in our new reality so take a moment to pat yourself on the back for making it this far.
