How to Get Motivated While Working from Home – 6 Simple Ways

While many people think that working from home is the easiest thing to do, it can be challenging for various reasons. Motivation is one of the biggest ones, and it's more of a problem than you may think. If you're not motivated to do the jobs designated, your productivity levels are undeniably going to take a hit. If you've ever wondered how to get motivated while working from home, you've come to the right place. 

A lack of motivation is a serious problem, but it's not necessarily a permanent one. By using the techniques outlined below, you can restore yours to get the required job done. What are you waiting for it to continue? 

1. Scheduling

Sometimes, your lack of motivation indicates a lack of direction. Without the structure you need being present in your workday, it feels like the sense of urgency or duty associated with work progressively slips to the wayside. Maybe you are doing your work later than you should, which causes you to be staying up much longer than is necessary or healthy.

Therefore, the next day gets thrown off, and you create a cycle that becomes hard to break out of if you don't tackle it in the right way. The best option is to set a clear schedule for the tasks at hand. Ensure that there is a window dedicated to working, and schedule your time effectively to handle all the tasks you need to get around to.

Incorporating exercise into your routine is also important, as physical activity can increase your alertness and mental investment into your job. 

2. Use a Time Management Technique

This follows from the previous point about scheduling. There are various time management techniques that you can use to develop an efficient work plan. Pomodoro is one of the most common options, and it has helped numerous workers to realize their potential. When done right, taking this step helps keep you accountable, and it ensures that you do what you plan when you plan.

Pomodoro's premise is very simple, as it involves using alternating time slices to go between work time and break time. The presence of the breaks makes it easier for you to stay sharp and continuously refocus on the tasks at hand. 

Of course, you can use your brakes to work on your physical and mental health at your leisure. All you need to do is choose a time management technique that fits your needs well. Pomodoro is not the only option, so feel free to explore.

3. Block Distractions

If you want to stay motivated at work, it requires a certain level of focus on what is important. Unfortunately, remote workers tend to be in relaxed spaces brimming with distractions that take attention and time away.

The worst part is that picking up a task after a distraction is often difficult to pull off. Therefore, you lose valuable time trying to straighten out your train of thought. Once you're thinking of other things that entertain or command your attention well, your work gets put on the backburner. 

Restoring the motivation means getting rid of all the distractions, and some techniques can be a bit more invasive than others. However, you should do whatever is necessary to restore motivation. 

That means if you need to use your phone's do not disturb mode or turn the device off completely, get it done.  

4. Caring for Yourself

When your mental energy is off and you lack motivation, it may reflect the kind of care your body is getting. Are you eating? Are you sleeping enough? Are you spending too much of your time on work-related issues? 

You are a person before you are an employee, which means that your self-care must take priority. That may mean doing meditation and having an uninterrupted "me time" session every day before work. Alternatively, it may mean getting in some basic exercises at your workstation to keep your mind and body active. 

Once you consistently feel off, don't neglect to address whatever is bothering you. Even if you can put yourself through the motions to get work done, it won't be at the most optimal level until you are fully invested in the job functions.

5. Eat Well

Never underestimate the value of nutrition on anything that you need to do. Proper nutrition is a basic need that can throw anything off balance when it is not met. A malnourished body yields an undernourished mind, which is often incapable of finding the motivation to get work done.

Apart from just getting food, you also want to be eating properly. Motivation is associated with energy, which means that incorporating energy giving foods into your diet is an excellent idea. 

It can get very tempting to miss meals because of how busy you are. While there are moments where that is unavoidable, it should always be the exception and not the rule. Work from home motivation requires you to be firing on all cylinders, and you can't do that when your body is improperly fed.

If you need to plan, prepare your meals in advance, go ahead and do so. That way, when it is lunchtime, you can start eating.  

6. Physical Activity

In a couple of the earlier points, you would notice that exercise came up. The mental benefits of a workout tend to be very underrated when compared to the physical benefits. Physical activity increases awareness and energy levels over time. 

You aren't always going to get in long workout sessions when you want, so you need to take advantage of what you can get. Perhaps you would like to consider incorporating balance board exercises at your desk.

It doesn't always have to be a whole traditional exercise routine. A couple of movements during your breaks works well too. The point is to avoid denying your body the pleasure of physical activity if you want to stay motivated at work.