Working from home has become the norm over the last year, but staying motivated to produce your best can be challenging. Even as we slowly return to office environments, hybrid forms of working mean many will still be settling down for a day’s work in their home offices, so how can we ensure that our productivity levels remain high?
Thankfully, there are several ways to help yourself stay motivated, enabling you to make the most of your day and complete the tasks you need to get done. Here are a handful of tips for keeping your productivity high and for combating working from home fatigue…
Take regular breaks
Taking regular breaks when working from home is a must, especially if working to tight deadlines and when managing heavy workloads. Even a ten-minute walk around the local park, sitting out in the sunshine in the garden or a quick lunchtime yoga session will leave your mind feeling refreshed, reenergized, and ready to take on the rest of the day.
If you don’t take breaks, you’ll likely become overwhelmed and can experience a lack of motivation, which ultimately leads to a dip in productivity too.
Eat well
Just as petrol fuels our cars, food fuels our bodies. Ensuring you have a good breakfast and lunch will ensure your brain is ready to tackle whatever your busy working day throws at you! Eating healthy, non-processed foods such as antioxidant-packed smoothies, nutritional salads, protein-packed snacks and the right amount of carbs will give your body and your brain the energy it needs to tackle heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and demanding assignments.
Breathe
Yes, it may sound simple, but a lot of us hold our breath when stressed or concentrating. Remembering to take deep, slow breaths is a great way to give our brains and bodies the oxygen it needs to function.
There are plenty of breathing exercises out there that can support this too, and even something as simple as counting while you inhale and exhale can help to make you feel more relaxed and ready to work.
Get organized
Working from home isn’t quite the same as having regular working hours, but try sticking to a regular nine-five timeframe as best you can. This helps to ensure you don’t work longer hours than you otherwise would, while creating a list of things you need to complete by the end of the day, in order of importance, is a great way to stay motivated and proactive.
Ticking each item off as you complete them also leaves you feeling triumphant and like you have achieved what you set out to do.
Embrace the power hour
We live in a world where distractions are rife, especially when it comes to technology. From an inbox overflowing with emails to instant messenger, our mobile phones, blogs, and various social media and news channels, it’s extremely easy to become distracted.
For the first hour of your day, commit to avoiding these distractions; dedicating your time to getting as much work done as possible. This will help you set the tone for your day, giving you a great sense of achievement that will continue until it’s time to finish working.
Time chunking
Try to shift your focus between repetitive and tedious tasks to avoid losing concentration. Start with a tiresome task and follow it with something more engaging, giving each task a time limit. Set alarms on your phone to ensure you don’t spend more time than needed on one task.
Fill your home office with plants
Asides from purifying the air and ridding it of nasty chemicals, which in turn boosts our brainpower, plants, and flowers (especially those boasting bright hues) are proven to motivate our minds, raise awareness and keep us alert.
You’ll find an array of easy-to-care-for houseplants available at online florists too, meaning you can enjoy all of their benefits without needing to spend too much time looking after them!
Use productivity tools
There are numerous helpful tools available today, all of which are designed to help you stay organized and effectively tackle your workload. These are readily available online and often allow team members to effectively link into the same platform, meaning the same task isn’t completed twice.
Listen to music
This isn’t for everyone, however, the right type of music can be motivating, especially when tackling the more mundane tasks that require little concentration. Choose music that is designed to help you to work and don’t play it too loud. Putting in headphones is another great way to avoid any other unwanted distractions.
Stay hydrated
This is hugely important and something a lot of us forget to do, especially when tackling numerous deadlines. Try to keep a bottle of water on your desk and take regular sips. You may even want to set reminders to ensure you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Sources: lifehack.org, workplace.com
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