Five tips to motivate yourself while working from home

Working from home sounds doable and straightforward, even if you have never tried working from home before. You might ask yourself, “What can go wrong?” as, theoretically, working from home is easier than commuting to your office. However, tons of distractions can wane your motivation to work; such as the pile of dirty laundry, the noisy environment, or even your pets can distract you from focusing on your work.

Therefore, the first step to stay motivated is to create a schedule. You have to determine your working hours, even in the comfort of your home. After that, stick to your schedule and complete your tasks as per usual. With a structured plan, you can manage your time wisely.

The second step is to establish a dedicated workspace. The biggest mistake for someone that works from home is to associate your work with your bed. You have to set a barrier between a place to sleep and a workplace. Research shows that working on your bed can also affect your sleeping pattern.

Try to put on actual clothes and not donning your pyjamas while working. According to fashion psychologists, we tend to associate the garments that we wear with our state of mind. For example, if you wear your pyjamas even if you are working from home, you tend to behave more lazily.

After you complete a task, reward yourself. You can take a 10 minutes break, spend some time playing PS5 or even watch an episode of your favourite Netflix series. However, you have to understand the balance between productivity and discipline. Do not get carried away with your rewards. At the end of the day, you have to prioritise your workload.

Last but not least, do not refrain from going outside, just because you are working from home. This may not be an issue for extroverts, but for introverts – you have to avoid trapping yourself inside your home. Taking a walk, running errands or talking to your neighbours can be an excellent way for a daily dose of social interaction.

In short, working from home may not be for everyone, but as we live in the wake of a global pandemic, we may not have a choice. However, we can always strive to improve ourselves and make working from home as easy as working in the office.