Working from home: 5 tips to stay motivated

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is gradually shifting to a different way of working: working from home. Working from home can be awesome, until you discover the distractions that are forced upon you, and the things you miss from working in your office. Can’t wait to get back to work with your PATboard tools? Luckily, we have created a series of blogs to help you make the transition during this challenging time.  In this series we give tips on all the relevant topics around working from home.

Many people find themselves struggling with staying motivated when they have to work from home. Distractions in and around the house make it difficult to concentrate on work tasks. But there are strategies you can learn to make your days away from the office some of your most productive. In this blog, we will reveal to you the best tips to stay focused, so that you can stay productive and don’t lose your motivation.

Tip 1. Create a clean and tidy home office

The first step is to determine where you are going to work. Find a place as much away from distractions as possible, and make sure that it is clean and tidy. Your brain can associate a space with the need to be productive, so you want to set up your own home office and make it actually look like an office. Be sure to have anything you need present in this home office, like your laptop, video conferencing equipment, paper, pens, and a cup of coffee to set your mind right 😉

Tip 2. Make your home office comfortable

Aside from a comfortable chair and a desk, you can decorate the room with anything you like (as long as it isn’t going to distract you) including branding from the company where you work. The more comfortable you feel in the room, the easier it will be to stay motivated.

Tip 3. Block distractions

To prevent you from losing yourself into the world of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Reddit) when working from home, you can use tools that will block these distractions for you. Sometimes you just need a little extra help to stay focused and stick to your planning. Website blockers like StayFocused or Freedom allow you to select the sites you want to block for set periods of time.

Tip 4. Take your work outside

Changing your working environment can reduce stress and boredom, and it can do wonders for your motivation! If the weather is good, take your work outside to get some fresh air and natural (sun)light to boost your mood and literally brighten up your working day.

Tip 5. Check in with your team

Feeling like you are working all alone when you work from home can be a real motivation killer. Physically, it might be true that you are working alone, but don’t forget about your colleagues who are probably all in the same situation as you. Regularly planning in some time for a digital meeting, or just to socialize with your colleagues who work at the same project as you, keeps you connected with the business. You’ll be surprised at how much some human interaction can do for your motivation.

Of course, working from your physical office probably works best. You’re less likely to get distracted, and you’re in the good company of your colleagues with whom you can have face-to-face conversations. By the time you can get back to your office, you can make the project that you’re working on with your team more physical and visual again, and the actual interaction will boost communication. Until then, you can use the tips in this blog to get the most out of your workdays from home.