How to Stay Motivated While Working Remotely
Working from home brings flexibility, but distractions too. Here are six proven ways to boost your motivation and productivity when working remotely.
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iWallet | Blog Yazarı
May 08, 2020
5 min read
Working remotely has many advantages: working from the comfort of your own home, being close to your family or housemates and enjoying the luxury of a casual Friday every day are just a few. Having so much flexibility is great, and most research shows that working from home increases productivity overall. But it can sometimes be distracting. If you work remotely and can't get to your usual workplace, here are some sure-fire ways to boost your motivation and productivity:
1. Turn part of your home into an office
Most of us love sitting on the sofa, watching TV or snacking in the kitchen. But let's face it: if you try to combine work with your favourite home activities, you won't be very motivated to get your work done. You may find yourself deep into the last episode of a series with a bowl of popcorn, only to realise you haven't looked at your computer once. If you really want to get your work done, you need a dedicated office space at home. For the best results, your workspace should be 100% free of distractions. That means a room with a door that closes and clear ground rules with your family or housemates about when they can and can't come in. Just as your family wouldn't interrupt you in the middle of a meeting at the office, they need to understand that they shouldn't come into your home office during working hours. Make sure you have easy access to all the tools and supplies you need, such as your computer, a printer, video conferencing equipment, paper and pens. You can decorate the room with your career achievements and awards, diplomas or certificates, and branded items from the company you work for. The more your room feels like an office, the easier it will be to stay motivated. Above all, never work where you sleep. Why? The urge to sleep is strong, and it's far easier than you'd think to find yourself taking a nap or justifying "just five more minutes".
2. Get up early
Getting up early is hard even when you have to be in the office at 8:00 every morning. When you work from home without a set schedule, the urge to stay in bed or work on a home project only grows. If you want to stay motivated, do yourself a favour and set a fixed time to wake up every day. If you're a morning person, get up early. Studies show that morning people are more proactive and more likely to take responsibility for getting things done. Is there a better way to get motivated than starting early and getting things done? A quick side note: it's important to remember that not everyone is a morning person. If you aren't, you're not doomed to fail in business. Other studies have shown that night owls are often more creative and sometimes even smarter. If you know yourself well enough to know that mornings aren't when you get things done, don't waste time trying to become a morning person. Instead, focus on the hours when you do your best work. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Build a regular routine
It may be tempting to fly by the seat of your pants every day, but if you do, you'll soon feel scattered and overwhelmed. A better idea is to approach your work as the creature of habit we all are. Work out when you do your best work and set a regular schedule around those hours. For many people, this might mean getting up early, exercising, showering, dressing for work, eating a healthy breakfast and then making a checklist of everything you need to do that day. As you settle into your routine, you'll find it much easier to stay motivated and reach your goals. Don't forget to plan the tasks you need to complete, regular breaks and your meetings.
4. Schedule regular breaks and holidays
Work can pile up, and sometimes it seems the best thing to do is work straight through without breaks. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is plenty of science to support the idea that productivity increases when you take breaks. Here are some of the most interesting reasons to schedule regular breaks: even mental breaks just to daydream can help you make connections and improve brain function (Science Daily). Short breaks help you stay focused (Science Daily). Breaks help you re-evaluate your goals and keep you on track (Harvard Business Review).
Don't worry if you're unsure when and how to take a break: The Atlantic has a formula for the perfect work-break balance. It recommends working for 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break.
As well as scheduling regular breaks, it's vital to take a holiday every now and then. Holidays help us relax, recover and come back refreshed and ready to work.
5. Dress for work
Working without trousers may come with fun bragging rights, but unfortunately it doesn't do much for your productivity. Research shows you are more productive when you put your tracksuit aside and dress for work. Dressing well can boost your confidence, make you feel more powerful, improve your abstract thinking and help you see the bigger picture. Even at home, you'll feel better and be more productive when you dress well.
6. Cut out distractions
Do you check Facebook when you're bored? What about Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn? If you're trying to stay on task, aim not to check your social media accounts while you work. If you really must check them, do it during one of your scheduled breaks rather than your core working hours. Social media isn't the only online distraction either: it's easy to get lost in your favourite sports site, blogs, news sites, Reddit, YouTube or anything in your bookmarks bar. When you really need to concentrate, turn away from the internet and towards your work. The internet is a huge distraction, but nothing competes with instant messaging apps. Answering a few messages may seem harmless, but before you know it you can spend hours shooting the breeze with friends. Not to mention that every new message pings and breaks your concentration. The easiest fix is to set your status to "offline" or "do not disturb" in messaging apps. Also put your mobile phone away while you work, which means leaving your favourite apps, the news and texting for outside working hours. Turning off notifications also reduces phone distractions: you won't get alerts and will have to deliberately open an app to see if there's anything new.
1. Turn part of your home into an office
Most of us love sitting on the sofa, watching TV or snacking in the kitchen. But let's face it: if you try to combine work with your favourite home activities, you won't be very motivated to get your work done. You may find yourself deep into the last episode of a series with a bowl of popcorn, only to realise you haven't looked at your computer once. If you really want to get your work done, you need a dedicated office space at home. For the best results, your workspace should be 100% free of distractions. That means a room with a door that closes and clear ground rules with your family or housemates about when they can and can't come in. Just as your family wouldn't interrupt you in the middle of a meeting at the office, they need to understand that they shouldn't come into your home office during working hours. Make sure you have easy access to all the tools and supplies you need, such as your computer, a printer, video conferencing equipment, paper and pens. You can decorate the room with your career achievements and awards, diplomas or certificates, and branded items from the company you work for. The more your room feels like an office, the easier it will be to stay motivated. Above all, never work where you sleep. Why? The urge to sleep is strong, and it's far easier than you'd think to find yourself taking a nap or justifying "just five more minutes".
2. Get up early
Getting up early is hard even when you have to be in the office at 8:00 every morning. When you work from home without a set schedule, the urge to stay in bed or work on a home project only grows. If you want to stay motivated, do yourself a favour and set a fixed time to wake up every day. If you're a morning person, get up early. Studies show that morning people are more proactive and more likely to take responsibility for getting things done. Is there a better way to get motivated than starting early and getting things done? A quick side note: it's important to remember that not everyone is a morning person. If you aren't, you're not doomed to fail in business. Other studies have shown that night owls are often more creative and sometimes even smarter. If you know yourself well enough to know that mornings aren't when you get things done, don't waste time trying to become a morning person. Instead, focus on the hours when you do your best work. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Build a regular routine
It may be tempting to fly by the seat of your pants every day, but if you do, you'll soon feel scattered and overwhelmed. A better idea is to approach your work as the creature of habit we all are. Work out when you do your best work and set a regular schedule around those hours. For many people, this might mean getting up early, exercising, showering, dressing for work, eating a healthy breakfast and then making a checklist of everything you need to do that day. As you settle into your routine, you'll find it much easier to stay motivated and reach your goals. Don't forget to plan the tasks you need to complete, regular breaks and your meetings.
4. Schedule regular breaks and holidays
Work can pile up, and sometimes it seems the best thing to do is work straight through without breaks. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is plenty of science to support the idea that productivity increases when you take breaks. Here are some of the most interesting reasons to schedule regular breaks: even mental breaks just to daydream can help you make connections and improve brain function (Science Daily). Short breaks help you stay focused (Science Daily). Breaks help you re-evaluate your goals and keep you on track (Harvard Business Review).
Don't worry if you're unsure when and how to take a break: The Atlantic has a formula for the perfect work-break balance. It recommends working for 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break.
As well as scheduling regular breaks, it's vital to take a holiday every now and then. Holidays help us relax, recover and come back refreshed and ready to work.
5. Dress for work
Working without trousers may come with fun bragging rights, but unfortunately it doesn't do much for your productivity. Research shows you are more productive when you put your tracksuit aside and dress for work. Dressing well can boost your confidence, make you feel more powerful, improve your abstract thinking and help you see the bigger picture. Even at home, you'll feel better and be more productive when you dress well.
6. Cut out distractions
Do you check Facebook when you're bored? What about Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn? If you're trying to stay on task, aim not to check your social media accounts while you work. If you really must check them, do it during one of your scheduled breaks rather than your core working hours. Social media isn't the only online distraction either: it's easy to get lost in your favourite sports site, blogs, news sites, Reddit, YouTube or anything in your bookmarks bar. When you really need to concentrate, turn away from the internet and towards your work. The internet is a huge distraction, but nothing competes with instant messaging apps. Answering a few messages may seem harmless, but before you know it you can spend hours shooting the breeze with friends. Not to mention that every new message pings and breaks your concentration. The easiest fix is to set your status to "offline" or "do not disturb" in messaging apps. Also put your mobile phone away while you work, which means leaving your favourite apps, the news and texting for outside working hours. Turning off notifications also reduces phone distractions: you won't get alerts and will have to deliberately open an app to see if there's anything new.