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As a work at home mom, I sometimes lack the motivation to actually work at home. I had to get creative in finding ways to find motivation for real productivity. When I first wrote this post last spring, I regularly used 5 tips for motivation. Now that I’ve got more experience in working from home, I’ve realized that motivation can sometimes require a lot more.
Motivation to accomplish goals can depend on the day. It can also depend on a number of other things. From making a schedule to creating a vision board, there are many ways to motivate yourself. So, without further ado, here’s 25 different tips on getting yourself moving for your at-home workday.
1. Start your workday with your worst task.
Getting started with the day might be simple when you start with your simple tasks, but what happens when the simple tasks are gone and the hard stuff remains? When you start your workday with the worst task, the simple stuff is a welcome relief when it comes around. Motivation can more easily be found when the difficult stuff is out of the way and all that remains is the easy tasks.
2. Don’t work in your bed.
I’m guilty of this one frequently. When you work in your bed, you confuse your body about what it’s supposed to be doing. Even if you feel prepared to work, you may find yourself drifting off. Since you’re already in your bed, it is easy to take a quick nap. When you’re working in a location that you don’t sleep, you may find that by the time you walk to your bed, you no longer need that nap.
3. Create an ergonomic workspace, even if there’s no office.
I don’t have an office. That doesn’t mean I don’t get anything accomplished. Instead, I make sure to work in a comfortable, ergonomic space. There are so many ways to create a small office space even if you don’t have an office. Consider the landing on the stairs, the hallway, or a corner of the living room. This folding wall desk can be a huge help!
4. Get dressed and ready for work.
It is so tempting to work in your PJs. I know this because I’m currently doing it. However, when I’m feeling unmotivated, I can get myself going by getting ready for the day. I don’t put on business casual clothes to work from home, but I do get dressed. The switch from sweatpants to jeans does something to my brain that says, “it’s time to get stuff done.”
5. Schedule your days.
This one is hugely important to me. I would get absolutely nothing accomplished if I didn’t schedule out my days. I don’t necessarily follow it to the second, but it can be helpful to have an idea of how much time I have to do each task. I typically give myself a few minutes more than I think it will take so that I have a buffer.
6. Get rid of distractions to use your time productively.
There are so many distractions out there in 2020. From social media to our kids’ distance learning to constantly checking news headlines, it can be a difficult time to get anything accomplished. So, when it’s time to work, it is important to shut out all distractions. Put an app pause on your social media accounts, use headphones or go in a different room to make sure distance learning is not at the forefront of your mind, and buckle down.
7. Work in chunks of time and take frequent breaks.
When you’re making your schedule, remember to write in time for breaks. You might try working (with no distractions) for half an hour and then taking a 10-minute break. You may come to find that a mind that gets breaks is one that is far more productive. If you’re forcing yourself to work when there’s nothing getting accomplished, you are simply wasting time.
8. Delegate, delegate, delegate!
Although many people that work from home do so alone, some have teams of people backing them up. If this is the case for you, delegate! Don’t try to take on too much. Doing so can kill your motivation and slow down your overall productivity. If you’re able, delegate the tasks that you’re able.
9. Go soak up the sun!
Take some time outside. Whether you use a break to get some sun or move your office to the porch for the morning, getting some natural sunlight can wake you up and help you to get motivated. The sun has so many benefits to the workday!
10. Avoid overworking.
Working too much is entirely possible and should be completely avoided. When you work too much, you slow down. You get burnt out. You feel like you’re working but you’re getting little accomplished. Remember that you’re only human! Overworking is not good for you and it isn’t a good motivator.
11. Find someone to hold you accountable.
A real, human person that holds you accountable can be inspiring. This might be someone you work with, another person that works from home, or even your spouse. You might share your to-do list and check-in at the end of the week. If you require more frequent accountability measures, check-in every day. Sharing what you’ve accomplished and what you’re struggling to do can help you to remain on task.
12. Take part in human interaction.
We, as human beings, require interaction with other people. Even introverts can benefit from some face to face communication. Meet up with a friend for lunch, have an in-person meeting at a coffee shop, or take a break to visit a family member. Human interaction is important to daily life.
13. Work on personal development.
Personal development can be a motivator in itself. When we study how to improve ourselves, we may also find that we want to do better in all areas of life. Whether that’s in work, relationships, or hobbies, personal development can inspire us to accomplish goals.
14. Go easy on yourself.
Always remember that you’re a human. There will be days when there is nothing that can be done about the motivation for that day. You may need to spend the day binge-watching Netflix or reading a book that has nothing to do with work. Taking off for a day is okay – you may even find that you feel rested and ready to work the following day.
15. Relocate for a day.
It can get boring if you work in the same place and see the same things every single day. This is especially true when it is your home – you work and live in the same place, which means you don’t ever get a break from it. Take one. Get your computer and work materials and head to the library or a coffee shop. Go to the park or rent a desk at a shared office space for a day. You can feel more ready to work when you have different surroundings than the regular.
16. Use technology to your advantage.
It’s 2020 and technology abounds. There’s a technological solution for just about everything these days. Use it! Use Google Tasks to organize your to-do list. Check out Slack for communication with others. Utilize Zoom for a conference call rather than a simple phone call. Using these tools that are available to you can not only help to break up the monotony of the day, but they can offer ways of being more productive.
17. Set aside time to work out and eat right.
If you’re scheduling your workday from the time you wake up until the time you eat dinner, you are likely missing out on a good work out. Use your morning for an intense HIIT video on Youtube or go for a jog. Walk on your lunch break. Also, leave the Cheetos in the pantry and snack on some baby carrots and hummus. Exercising can get you ready for the day and eating healthy meals gives better energy than junk. Give it a try and see the difference it makes in your workday!
18. Know your ‘why.’
One of the best work from home motivations is knowing why. Why are you working? Do you want to accomplish something specific? Are you saving up for your child’s college fund? Are you passionate about the work? Define exactly why you do what you do and remember it. Knowing your ‘why’ can be inspiring and keep you on track. Motivation in this form is one of the easiest – as long as you have a ‘why’ that you believe in.
19. Prioritize your tasks, but remember when you’re most productive.
You may have a ‘most important’ to ‘least important’ task list, as most people that work from home do. If you don’t start one! It’s important to prioritize what’s most important to ensure that it gets done. However, if your most important task is also the hardest task and you are the least productive first thing in the morning, you may want to also organize your list to match up with your most productive times.
20. Develop a routine that you’re familiar with.
It can be hard to finish a task that you’re unfamiliar with. This isn’t to say that you should never add something new to your routine, but it is important to give yourself time to adjust. Over time, you may find that it’s easiest to leave extra time for the unexpected. By having this in your routine, it can be easier to allow other tasks into your regular day.
21. Build up momentum.
For many people, getting work done starts with building up momentum. This can be done by checking items off your to-do list in quick succession. To do this, you must put a few easy items on your list in a row before starting the difficult ones. For example, if you get two easy tasks finished first thing in the morning, then you can have the momentum to tackle a difficult one. A break after the difficult task can lead to another easy task or two before starting another hard one.
22. Create a vision board.
If you’re a creative or visual person, a vision board can be extremely helpful in reminding you to stay on task. Some people see it as a hobby to create vision boards. For some, it is best to create a physical board full of inspiring quotes, pictures, and stories. Others rely on Pinterest to create motivational vision boards. Find your own inspiration and create one for yourself!
23. Set challenges for yourself.
Not only are challenges motivational, but they can also be fun. Put deadlines on tasks that don’t necessarily have deadlines. Challenge yourself to get a certain task done by the end of the day. Start a productivity challenge and measure your accomplishments. Try to do better the following week. Whatever challenges you develop, try to make sure they are ones you have to work for.
24. Reward yourself for success.
When you hit milestones or achieve successes, reward yourself! Maybe that means a day off or a movie night. It could be buying something you really want but haven’t purchased yet. Whatever way you decide to reward yourself, looking at, or remembering that reward can inspire you to reach your next success.
25. Organize tomorrow’s task at the end of the day and acknowledge what you’ve accomplished today.
When you’ve finished work for the day, reflect on what you got done. Then, organize the to-do list for tomorrow. Writing it all down allows you to leave work behind and ready yourself for tomorrow’s tasks. There’s no reason to focus on work after you’re done with work – even if you live in the same space. You need downtime from work to accomplish your goals tomorrow.
Are You Ready to Get Motivated to Work at Home?
If you’ve been struggling with the motivation to work from home, the above 25 tips should help you. There are some that work best for some personalities and some that work better for others. Try out a few and see which suits you and your style. Then you can come back and let me know in the comments if any changed your workday!