Tips for extra motivation while working from home
After more than a year of working from home, offices are slowly but steadily moving towards reopening for employees. Nonetheless, remote work will likely remain a part of our working culture for some time to come, if not permantently in some form. After the past year, we are no longer adjusting to speaking with each other via Teams or Zoom and many have realised that their working time can be better spent, more efficient and balanced from home. In essence, it seems working from home won’t disappear from our ‘way of working’ for a while.
Despite its undoubted benefits, working from home has the potential to become a grind. It’s not always easy to stay motivated without your colleagues by your side. To help you avoid falling into some of the traps that home work brings, we’ve gathered a few practical tips for giving your working day an extra boost!
1. Plan short breaks
Our brains work in magical and mysterious ways, for instance, why do you always get your best ideas whilst doing the washing-up or standing in the shower? The most creative inspirations often arrive during automatic actions, like going for a walk or washing your hair – these make for great times to work through difficult tasks or worries. In these slower and more free-form moments, your brain takes the opportunity to freely wander.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to schedule short breaks at regular intervals, giving you time in which to do something else. A good way to incorpate this into your working day is to block out fifteen minutes in your schedule to go for a walk, have a short meditation session, prepare a fruit salad or dust your home. By giving your brain a moment to rest, you can help free it up for great ideas and give it the energy to continue.
2. Be sure to create a clear distinction between work life and home life
For over a year now, working from home has been woven into our daily lives. When the corona pandemic turned the world upside down, we were forced to to adapt rapidly. Now, a year later, we make countless video calls from our home offices without even noticing. Without a clear distinction between our workplaces and the place where we relax, it can be difficult to stay motivated. After all, you are used to relaxing in the same room that you’re now trying to work in. If you can, avoid working in the space that you relax in – ideally, choose a room for a office away from your bedroom or living room!
Try to create a clear dividing line between your work life and home life. One good way to do this is by clearing your workspace at the end of the day. Place all of your equipment and supplies in a box and place them out of sight, or pack down your laptop and clear away your desk. It’s a way of closing the door on your working day and making you less likely to be reminded of your work throughout the evening. Looking for some office storage boxes? You can find whatever you need in our extensive range of storage solutions and office furniture.
3. Take a vacation day – and make it a good one
Last year, 28% of UK workers cancelled their holiday time. It makes sense, given that many had to cancel holidays during the first lockdown and held on to the time in the hopes of taking it later when it felt safer. Nonetheless, it’s important to take time to switch off and not think about work, even if you’re just taking time at home. Stay-cations have become more popular, with people taking time to relax with family at home – sometimes these slower moments can be far more relaxing than a break abroad!
Take a vacation day now and then. You should make yourself a kind of “vacation itinerary” for these date. Go out and spend your day off like a tourist in your own country – visit a local village or town, explore hiking routes or footpaths and connect with nature. You can go for a bike ride or walk somewhere you haven’t been – you might be surprised with what you find nearby! Discover beautiful nature reserves in your area or visit the idyllic villages nearby that you’ve been ignoring… It’s not for nothing that the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once said: “A simple change of scenery can bring about powerful shifts in the flow of time and emotions.”
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