Before the Covid-19 pandemic, around one in eight working adults in the United Kingdom reported working from home.
However, levels of working from home peaked during the lockdown due to Government restrictions and in 2022, when the guidance to work from home was lifted in Great Britain, around 38% of working adults reported having worked from home.
In 2023, around 40% of working adults reported working from home between 25 January and 5 February.
(Image Source: Office for National Statistics)
Maintaining your motivation whilst working from home can be challenging, especially if you’re working remotely for the first time. Knowing how to stay motivated while at home can prevent distractions like your mobile phone and television from ruining your work ethic.
Here are six tips to keep yourself motivated while working from home.
1. Create a dedicated (and tidy) workplace
To stay productive, you must create the perfect working environment within your home.
Turning a spare room or study into an office is the most effective option to keep everything work-related separate from your living spaces. Even though working from bed sounds tempting, don’t associate your bed with work as this can interfere with sleep quality, and trouble sleeping will affect your work performance and mood the next day.
However, if you have limited space, the kitchen table or a desk in the corner of the living room are still better alternatives to your bedroom. However, staying motivated may be challenging if you work in front of the television or near snacks.
It is also essential to keep your chosen workspace tidy, which will keep your mind tidy and boost your motivation. Throw away unnecessary clutter, organise your desk and put stationary back in its correct place.
2. Talk to your colleagues
Working from home full-time can be isolating and lonely, especially if you live alone or have little social interaction in the evenings.
To counteract loneliness and stay motivated, speak to your colleagues during the day. This could be through an online chat, regular informal meetings or work-related meetings to update your team.
3. Take breaks
Breaks are essential to boost productivity. You will have more motivation to continue working when you return to your desk after a break, including a short break in the morning, a more extended lunch break and an afternoon break.
Although it is tempting to work through your lunch at home, taking a lunch break of at least half an hour is essential, and you should consider using this time to get out of the house and stay active. If you can’t get out of the house for a walk or run, try a home workout, as staying active will boost your mood and make working from home a little easier.
You will be burnt out by the afternoon if you do not rest and get away from your computer. It will also help you create a healthy work/life balance so that you are only working your set hours.
(Image Source: Pexels)
4. Create a schedule (and stick to it)
Without a structured schedule, it is easy to start later in the morning or finish later in the evening. It is crucial to establish a time to begin and end work.
Planning your working day and giving yourself reasonable deadlines is also essential. You’ll be less likely to get distracted or begin to procrastinate if you know you only have 15 minutes to complete a task.
Another great tip is working in small time blocks, as this makes sizable tasks seem more manageable. You should have more motivation if you have one task to complete in the next 30 minutes rather than telling yourself that you have ten tasks to complete by lunchtime.
5. Get dressed
One of the best work-from-home motivation tips is to get dressed as though you’re heading to the office – and no, we don’t expect you to put on a suit!
Staying in pyjamas is tempting, but getting dressed and ready for your working day will make you feel more awake, focused and prepared to tackle the day.
6. Limit distractions
You might struggle to get back into the flow of a task each time you’re interrupted, so it is important to limit distractions to stay motivated and focused. Here are some potential distractions and how to avoid them:
- Social media: Without realising, you can spend hours scrolling through the likes of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Twitter, so stick to using these platforms during your breaks so you don’t miss any work deadlines.
- Online shopping: With your laptop or computer already on and connected to the internet, opening another tab and checking out your favourite online store may be tempting. However, one shop leads to more shops, and before you know it, you’ve eaten into your work time. Stick to online shopping after work.
- Your phone: Limit the time you spend on your smartphone throughout the day by muting notifications or placing it on ‘Do Not Disturb’ until you complete a specific task. Limiting your phone time will also stop you from getting distracted by social media and online shopping.
- Other people, especially children, hanging around the house: If you have children in the house during the school holidays, you may want to find activities to keep them occupied while you’re working. If you have housemates, you should establish some ground rules about what is a good reason for them interrupting you while working.
(Image Source: Unsplash)
Conclusion
While you might miss the office atmosphere or your colleagues bringing in buns on a Friday, working from home has many benefits, including being able to avoid the traffic-jams or packed train carriages on your commute. These six tips can help you make the most of your working from home routine and you might find that you’re just as productive as you are in the office.
