_edited.jpg)
How to keep your productivity and motivation high when working remotely.
1. Establish a schedule
You can easily lose track of time without a structured workday. As you sip an extra cup of coffee, you may find yourself moving your workday later and later. Your work hours continue into the evening, which causes you to stay up later at night, as well.
While working, you may get easily distracted or off track. 20-minute tasks now take two hours.
Therefore, it's crucial to have a clear schedule. Decide what time to start and when to end your workday. Follow it as closely as you can.
2. Create a dedicated workspace
It might be tempting to work in bed. The bed is the most comfortable place in the house.
When you associate your bed with work, it can interfere with your sleep. Poor sleep affects your performance the next day. Sleep experts recommend that you reserve your bed for sleeping and sleeping alone.
Even though your bed feels like a comfortable place to work, find a workspace elsewhere. Instead of your bedroom, consider a kitchen table or a desk in the corner of your living room.
3. Schedule your time in small blocks
Blocking out small amounts of time and planning what you'll do during that time can make big tasks feel more manageable.
You might feel more motivated if you tell yourself that you only need to complete one invoice in the next 30 minutes. Instead of telling yourself that you need to create 50 invoices by lunchtime.
You will also be more accountable if you schedule your time. When you know you have only 15 minutes to complete a task, you're less likely to lose yourself on social media. If you set a tight deadline, you'll be less likely to procrastinate.
4. Limit interruptions and distractions
You might find it difficult to get back on task each time you're interrupted. By limiting distractions and interruptions, you can stay motivated.
You may need to disable your phone's notifications and only check your email once an hour. You can also put your phone on "Do Not Disturb" until you have completed a specific task.
If you work from home with kids, keep them occupied to reduce interruptions. Give them tasks to do and plan to check in on them at a certain time.
Establish some ground rules about when they can interrupt you while you're working. When you're finished for the day, you can reward them with a chance to do something extra fun.
5. Put the "10-Minute Rule" into practice
Working on a task you do not want to do can be difficult. It's hard to convince yourself to get started when you know it will be boring, frustrating, or just difficult.
Use the "10-minute rule" to motivate yourself to do something you don't want to do. Tell yourself that you only have to work on it for 10 minutes. If you'd like, you can take a break after the 10-minute mark.
In most cases, you'll choose to keep playing after the 10-minute mark. The most difficult part is usually getting started. Once you do, it's easy to keep up the momentum.
6. Give yourself a reward
You might find that you work best when you know there's a reward in store. If you finish your work by 6 p.m., you can watch your favourite show. When you finish this report, you can have a cup of your favourite tea.
When it comes to getting work done efficiently, a bit of motivation can help a long way. In addition, it will make you realize what you're capable of.
7. Set a challenge for yourself
You can also get moving with a little challenge. You might try to write a certain number of words in 30 minutes, for example. If you see how many words you write in 30 minutes, you might try to beat that during your next 30-minute time slot.
You might also discover some things about yourself. Perhaps you type faster at the kitchen table, or maybe you are more focused right after lunch. Knowing these things about yourself can help you set up your day for success.
You can make better use of your time when you are more aware of it. If you challenge yourself in some way, this might provide extra motivation.
8. Take good care of yourself
When you're running on caffeine and sugar only, you won't be at your best. You need a healthy diet, plenty of rest, and self-care strategies to perform at your best.
At the moment, meeting your physical, social, and emotional needs will be more challenging than usual. You might find it difficult to eat a healthy diet when you limit your trips to the grocery store. Video chatting with friends is not the same as meeting in person.
Take a step back from time to time and ask yourself what else you can do to better take care of yourself. The more stressed you are, the more you need to take care of yourself.
There are a lot of tips online about how to do it at home. However, everyone is different. What works for one person might not work for another.
To find out what works best for you, you should experiment with different strategies. Perhaps you feel more motivated in the evenings, or maybe you have more energy after working out in the morning.
9. Try different strategies
Online tips about how to work from home abound. However, each person is different. Therefore, what works for one person may not work for another.
It's important to experiment with different strategies to see what works for you. You might feel more motivated in the evenings, or have more energy after a morning workout.
10. Learn how to regulate your emotions
Studies suggest that we put off tasks that raise unpleasant emotions.1 For example, if you're anxious about a medical appointment, you might not be motivated to call the doctor. Alternatively, if you fear that studying will cause frustration, you might end up binge-watching Netflix instead.
This lack of motivation is a result of your desire to avoid discomfort. When you work from home, there are plenty of opportunities to engage in something more fun than the job you're supposed to be doing.
Think about which emotions you are trying to avoid. It may be helpful to acknowledge those emotions. Remember that discomfort is okay.
Additionally, remind yourself how good you'll feel when you finish the project, as opposed to how bad you'll feel if you don't. It might motivate you to take action regardless of your feelings.