10 Ways to Stay Motivated While Working from Home

Allyson Hertz
June 28, 2022
Newsletter Article

COVID deeply affected us all. One effect of the pandemic is remote work. While some companies have welcomed employees back into the office, others have not, and are even remaining remote. Some positions were remotely working even pre-COVID. No doubt a few workers have lost their motivation. Here are 10 tips to improve your motivation while working remotely.

Make a Working Atmosphere for Yourself at Home.

Usually, the best part about the end of the workday is being able to come home and relax. However, with working remotely, it kind of feels like we never get out of the “office”. Therefore, if you are able, try finding an area within your home and dedicate it to only being an office. Try only going into that area during office hours. This will help you be able to relax and take a break from work outside of your hours. If you have to use a common area in your home, try putting everything work-related away at the end of the day. This will still allow you to relax in the common areas of your home.

Put on Your Work Clothes.

This might sound really silly because you may only walk ten feet to your home “office”. It can be very tempting to just roll out of bed and go straight to work. However, getting ready in the mornings will help you stay motivated. Your attire may make or break your day; if you feel good about it, you'll feel more confident. Making your outfit something you enjoy wearing will help you stay motivated throughout the day. In addition, the simple task of putting on your work attire can help you stay in the normal workday routine.

Kiss To-Do Lists Goodbye.

Developing a to-do list is a great way to keep track of what you need to get done that day, but it's missing one key element: prioritization. Without prioritization, deciding which activity to complete first might be tough, and if you don't complete it, your drive will dwindle. Instead of making a long to-do list, choose one or two of the most urgent tasks for the day and complete them first. Continue working if you have extra time. At the very least, you will have highlighted the main objectives you wanted for the day.

Have a Dance Party.

Not literally having a dance party, but listening to music provides something new and refreshing. This allows your brain to leave the routine and become slightly diverted. Distraction is beneficial in this scenario since it allows your brain to continue working. For example, you are doing a project that requires a lot of research… pretty exhausting, right? Now imagine doing research, but with your favorite song playing… not too bad, now is it?

Maintain Control of Your Workload.

It can be very tempting to set aside work and just watch one more episode on Netflix, which in reality turns into finishing a season…. Setting a specific time to work on a project allows you to be focused only on that. For example, I am going to set 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. to work on project A. Take a quick little break to decompress and then work on the next task. Even when it seems your workload is too much, remember the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time!

Check in With Your Coworkers.

It's a good idea to keep in touch with your colleagues, even if it's only for ten minutes. Coworkers are like your own personal cheerleaders. You can keep track of each other and motivate one another to complete the tasks and projects at hand. Incorporating small challenges each day is another approach to keep your colleagues motivated. Who doesn't enjoy a little friendly competition?

Allow Yourself to Take Pauses.

This can be somewhat difficult, especially when it seems as if there is a mountain of work to do. Taking a break of as little as five minutes not only lets you recharge your mind, but also allows your eyes to have a break from staring at a screen all day long. If it is appropriate for your job, you may be able to ask your manager to be able to complete minor tasks while walking around.

Create SMART Goals.

You may think to yourself, I already am creating smart goals. However, in this case, “SMART” is an acronym for:

S: specific.
M: measurable.
A: achievable.
R: relevant.
T: time-based.

An example of a SMART goal would look like this:

Specific: For the next six months, I will include three useful behaviors into my daily morning routine.
Measurable: My goal is to create a highly productive morning routine by including them in an app that tracks productivity, and set reminders for them.
Achievable: Before going to bed, I'll analyze my morning routine's success, plan forward, and compile a list of its advantages. In this manner, I'll be prepared to practice my morning ritual basis.
Relevant: A good morning routine will help me get off to a good start for a productive and healthy day. This will benefit me in many aspects of my life, both consciously and unconsciously.
Time-based: I'll stick to this strategy for six months before evaluating myself and deciding on three new behaviors.

Smart goals can also help you focus and feel more in control of your workload by having a concrete set of guidelines. Finally, you can't manage what you don't measure, and you can't improve what you don't manage correctly.

Get Your Heart Rate Up.

I am not talking about going to the gym and doing a full-on body workout. What I am talking about is standing up while you work. Did you know that your heart rate beats faster when you stand up versus sitting down? While it is very unlikely to get a “runner’s high” while standing, increasing your heart rate has been linked to increasing endorphins. This is your body producing natural chemicals in your brain, resulting in a general sense of well-being. It is a lot easier to motivate yourself when you are feeling well versus if you are feeling groggy.

Reward yourself for your efforts.

It may feel a little silly to celebrate the completion of minor tasks. However, your brain generates favorable emotions as a result of rewarding yourself at the moment, leading to the knowledge that your efforts result in a positive reward. If you do this repeatedly, your brain will begin to associate pleasure with completing the activity or achieving the goal, and you will be more likely to stay motivated to complete the small and larger tasks in the future.

The next time when you feel like you’re running empty on motivation, try using these quick tips to refill! If you are looking for a new opportunity to work from home, search for “remote jobs” at www.AgCareers.com.

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