How to Stay Motivated While Working From Home

Work from home has been the new normal ever since the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world. While the initial reactions to this drastic change were rather welcoming due to the opportunity it gave employees to work from their comfort spaces, the novelty soon dissipated. With almost no boundaries between professional and personal lives, near to zero human interactions, and extended work hours, remote working has taken a toll on not only employee motivation but also mental health. While remote work is not a novel concept and has been around for some time, even with many companies making plans to transition into remote work in due time, and a limited few conducting their business remotely almost entirely, it is well-known that the reason why remote work suddenly became the need of the day is none other than the pandemic. Companies all over the world dove, head first, into a sort of forced remote work experiment. However, the virus has somehow broken through the technological, emotional, and behavioral barriers that prevented ‘work from home’ in the past. Despite the majority of employees returning to their workplaces, remote work has the potential to be persistent even after the pandemic comes to an end. Although working from home comes with a lot of benefits, motivation is something that has suffered owing to employees getting accustomed to remote work. Hence, it is important to understand how to stay motivated while working from home for better long-term results and consistency and to keep up with inevitable changes in the work environment.

Below are a few essential ways that are helpful in understanding how to stay motivated while working from home:

1. Create a suitable work environment at home

As much as working from the comfort of your couch while enjoying casual wear seems tempting, it is one of the basic reasons for the lack of concentration and lower productivity. Creating a suitable work environment and maintaining a work dress code will help you to remain focused throughout the working hours. Set up a working desk or work area, or even a spot on the dining table, with all the necessities kept near you. The idea is to work in the same space everyday. Change from sleepwear to something that puts you in the mood to work. Dressing up formally as you would for the physical office is not necessary, but changing out of sleepwear and into something more appropriate for work is.

2. Stick to a schedule

One of the many setbacks that have come along with remote working is the increased levels of procrastination amongst the employees. This has resulted in lower productivity due to which employees struggle to stay motivated while working from home. Scheduling your day and sticking to that schedule as much as possible is essential. Set feasible goals for the day, manage your workload, and stay focused while working towards achieving your daily targets.

3. Allow yourself the necessary breaks

Before the pandemic struck, many employees saw work from home as an incredible opportunity. However, with the extended work hours, the expectations of enjoying a comfortable working space soon came to an end. Allow yourself the necessary breaks in order to recuperate and be able to reach your targets. If you struggle with ensuring you take breaks regularly, schedule that as well while planning your daily or weekly schedule.

With many employees still adjusting to this drastic change, work pressure has increased. Overburdening yourself is one of the simplest reasons behind losing motivation to work. Therefore, it is necessary to keep taking short breaks whilst working for long hours.

4. Tempt yourself with rewards

Rewards are the best way to keep yourself motivated and dedicated towards achieving your targets. Not only do they keep you motivated but also make you finish the task as soon as possible. A reward could be anything ranging from watching a show you enjoy to working on a hobby, or something else entirely. Whatever you choose as your reward should give you a sense of satisfaction. It is the excitement of achieving the reward that gives you enough motivation to work. This little boost is a great way to help keep up your motivation while working from home.

5. Ask for feedback

Keep in touch with your colleagues One of the primary causes of losing interest and motivation while working from home is the loss of human interaction. A social work environment is a positive work environment. However, this is another aspect that has suffered since the forced work from home season began with the pandemic. So try and keep in touch with your colleagues as much as you can. Have regular virtual meetings to create a virtual social work environment or connect with them via text as frequently as you can. This will make you feel more connected with your colleagues and bring back a sense of a team.

Although there are a lot of benefits that can be enjoyed while working from home, there are still some challenges that can not be ignored. It is natural to lose focus and motivation owing to a routine you are only beginning to get accustomed to now. But it is wise to find a solution to it rather than suffering the circumstances. These tips will help you to stay motivated while working from home so that you can be prepared for all the changes that the future of work will bring.