Working from home has a large number of benefits for the remote worker. The degree of flexibility you have in your working conditions is much greater and of course no lengthy commuting times! However what can’t be denied is that the number of distractions are much bigger than in a traditional office setting. It could be your TV, social media or even your comfy bed that stops your concentration and motivation!
Self-motivation can waver and this, in turn, will affect your productivity when working from home. So we’ve gathered together some simple tips to make sure you stay in a working mood all day long.
Get dressed for when you begin work
Working from home obviously has no strict dress code! You can really wear what you want. This however isn’t always conducive to a good day’s work. Sometimes simply what you are wearing can affect your concentration, motivation and productivity. Wearing your dressing gown all day, or not even getting properly dressed at all, do not lead to a working mood. Whilst you probably don’t need to get in a full suit or business attire, try to wear something that doesn’t make you feel too much like having a lazy day at home.
Plan breaks and holidays
If you find yourself lacking self-motivation, perhaps you need to plan set breaks throughout the day. It could be that you’re not spending enough time working through difficult tasks and taking breaks too often and too early. Knowing that you need to spend a set amount of time doing continuous work, rather than taking a small break every hour or two, can help you stay motivated. Also, make sure you plan larger breaks and holidays from work! If you have some big trip to look forward to then you’re going to be much more motivated.
Create working patterns for yourself
Whilst one of the benefits of working from home is having flexibility in how you plan your day, it’s still good actually make a plan! Keeping some sort of regularity in these plans is also a good idea. Perhaps you perform more difficult and lengthy tasks in the morning, followed by easier ones in the afternoon. Knowing what work you’ll be doing and when you’re doing it can improve self-motivation.
To learn how to change your thinking, check out this piece: >https://inlpcenter.org/change-your-thinking-nlp-motivation-strategy/<
Reward yourself for great performance
In an office setting, feedback on your work comes back quickly and often. Supervisors and other coworkers can give you praise for a job well done, which is proven to improve productivity and mental well being. When working from home, this process isn’t so instantaneous. After completing a large project or some work that you’re particularly happy with, give yourself some kind of reward. Doing this frequently directly increases motivation according to a recent study from Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1 This could be a short coffee break, a snack or anything else that will give you some motivation! Even just a moment of self-reflection and acknowledgment of your success can help.
Plan time for self-improvement and education
Putting some time in your day for self-improvement or learning a new skill can improve your motivation. It can sometimes be hard to motivate yourself to complete work tasks when you don’t see any gain. However, learning a new skill related to work or educating yourself in a relevant area can provide some motivation. You learn new things and feel satisfied!
Interested in learning more about working from home?
If you implement some of these tips into your routine, you’ll soon begin to improve your self-motivation when working from home. Whilst not everyone has this issue, it can sometimes occur. So, it’s good to have these in the back of your mind if you find yourself lacking some get-up-and-go!
On the 10th of April, we’ll be hosting the Global Work From Home Day for employers and employees. It’s a day where you can learn more about flexibility in your job and remote work in general. Sign up for the event and receive tips, tricks, help and curated playlists from the Remote-how team: >www.workfromhomeday.org<. Share a picture with #WorkFromHomeDay on 10th of April to have the chance of winning a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones or a Rain Design mStand360 Laptop Stand.
1https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspa0000116
