How to stay motivated at home?
How to stay motivated at home?
Posted By admin |03 Jun 2020
By Jordan Yung Khang Lee
For some time, coronavirus lockdowns have driven professional and social days out of the real world and into a virtual domain. Many workers, meeting their colleagues and friends virtually, will find themselves staring at their electronic devices longer than usual. We have seen how the pandemic has caused stress, with many worrying about the safety of their loved ones. Understandably, people will feel emotional and demotivated at this time. We must safeguard our mental health if stress levels are running high due to changing livelihoods.
It is understandable to think this way, and there is no basis for you to punish yourself, simply because you lack motivation at home. It is possible to get that motivation, so long you know the right methods. There are steps to mitigate them, that will help you reacquire a sense of direction, control, and focus within your roles.
Here are four ideas to help you stay motivated, but crucially, stress-free most of the time.
Photo by Fab Lentz on Unsplash.
For some time, coronavirus lockdowns have driven professional and social days out of the real world and into a virtual domain. Many workers, meeting their colleagues and friends virtually, will find themselves staring at their electronic devices longer than usual. We have seen how the pandemic has caused stress, with many worrying about the safety of their loved ones. Understandably, people will feel emotional and demotivated at this time. We must safeguard our mental health if stress levels are running high due to changing livelihoods.
It is understandable to think this way, and there is no basis for you to punish yourself, simply because you lack motivation at home. It is possible to get that motivation, so long you know the right methods. There are steps to mitigate them, that will help you reacquire a sense of direction, control, and focus within your roles.
Here are four ideas to help you stay motivated, but crucially, stress-free most of the time.
Maintain your usual routine at home.
The pandemic has disrupted the way we usually live, but that does not mean we should alter our regular routines. Try to keep your habits as close as possible to regular days. For example, if you are used to hitting the gym previously, you should continue working out despite being at home. All we need is a “different” structure tailored to the new world we live in now. Start your day as you would typically have, such as dressing up for work or even going for a walk. You might not need to head to the office, but dressing appropriately will help drive you into the mood. If you have some uniformity in your daily actions, it will feel much more manageable, especially when you are at home. Studies have shown that our body tends to function better when eating, sleep, and exercise patterns are set to a consistent schedule.Get up early from the bed.
Sometimes, it might feel daunting to get out of bed early to make it on time to the office. However, remote working has some definite advantages. You do not need to have a fixed schedule, or even heading for lunch at noon. To help you stay refreshed, nevertheless, set a time that you want to wake up daily. Studies had repeatedly shown that morning birds are more productive and likely to accomplish more than they expect. Still, not every person prefers to work in the morning. To some, they might feel that night hour works better for them, which triggers their motivation and creativity. It is imperative to choose the most appropriate timing for yourself. That being said, it is never harmful to get a good night rest and waking up fresh.
Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash.
Clear any distractions when you work.
Do you find yourself checking your Facebook or Twitter often when you are bored? Make an intention to not check your social media profiles while working - it distracts your focus and sense of clarity. Nevertheless, if you need to check them, make sure to only touch it during your scheduled breaks. Focus on your piece of work, and it will help prevent yourself from being distracted. Similarly, switch off your notifications from “social” apps like Snapchat while you are working. Doing so will reduce the tendency of you becoming sidetracked from the alerts, as you won’t physically need to enter the app on your phone without any notifications. All we need is a little resolution to get things done whilst relishing the process of it. Try it out, notice the difference in your motivation levels.Communicate with other human beings.
There are days when you should take a step back and rest. But during those times, it is always ideal to speak to anyone outside. Even it means going to the grocery store and chatting to the cashier staff, it keeps you motivated and alleviates your boredom. You might find it more taxing if you are used to working in an office where you need to talk to your coworkers daily. Despite so, you should not prevent yourself from making plans and reaching out to someone to talk to. In times like this, platforms such as Google Hangout and Skype will come in handy - all you need is to adapt and improvise depending on the circumstances. By socialising with others regularly, you will continue to improve social skills that emails and text messages will not give you. Attend any coffee sessions with your community, or even ring your neighbour to talk to them - it benefits you to stay positive.Reward yourself in any ways possible.
In the workplace, it is a usual practice for you to complete a task and forward it to your manager by a particular deadline. When you are home, the urge for you to complete a specific project might feel more demanding as you do not have your colleagues around as self-motivation. Try to come up with any methods to gift yourself after completing any tasks for the day, whether it could be a lavish dinner, or even binging on Netflix. The little present may come in handy for you before moving onto the next duty. For example, you can do an hour of substantial tasks and then reward yourself with a Youtube video later. Turn all these distractions into little presents, and use them to your satisfaction when you need it. Micro-rewards will be worthwhile to both make you feel fulfilled and giving yourself a brief stop to reboot.
By JCI Manager