Motivation consistency in pandemic work

Working from home has its fair share of problems and blunders. You might get distracted from your work to check out the latest from Netflix. The bed might call out to you and convince you to get more snoozes than usual. Your mood and motivation to work might be diminishing in this brand new yet familiar environment you’re not forced to live and work in.

Try to break from the rut and resist procrastination using helpful strategies in your work-from-home setup. Empower yourself and empower your time by improving your motivation to produce better output and to provide yourself with a healthy working environment. Look at different approaches you can do before, during, and after work to boost your performance.

Before

Start with yourself and your mental state to ensure you’re in a mindset to work. Acknowledge that you have some difficulty with motivating yourself and avoiding procrastination to healthily deal with the feelings associated with the task at hand. Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable and that you’ll feel better once you get your work out of your way.

Once you’re in a mindset to do work, experiment with different motivational strategies to see what fits you and your work habits. Create a schedule and try to plan your work in small increments of time to avoid getting overwhelmed by the number of tasks you have for the day. Instead of thinking about the 5 reports you need to accomplish by the end of the day, think about finishing the current report you’re working on in an hour or breaking up bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones to make them more digestible.  This will help you breathe and take breaks in between assignments.

When it comes to the physical aspect, establish a dedicated workspace for you and your computer. Declutter your home office in the literal and digital sense to avoid getting interrupted while working. Compared to working in your pajamas, it will be significantly better for your mood and mindset to wear clothes that will help your body think that it’s time to work. You can still be motivated to work while wearing comfortable clothes.

During

Limit distractions and interruptions by setting a time and space for yourself. If you have kids at home, give them an activity that will keep them preoccupied to enable you to have time for work. In line with the previously mentioned decluttering, try to not check your phone or hide computer games that can distract you from your work. Use apps like Forest to limit your screen time and make yourself be more productive.

If you’re having a hard time starting work, try the “2-minute rule” where you give yourself two minutes to accomplish a task or a part of a project. Sometimes you will find the energy to continue even after the two minutes are already over, giving you the pace you needed to start working. If you think the “2-minute-rule” is too short, you can try the “10-minute-rule” with the same mechanics.

Once you get your momentum going, try challenging yourself if that motivates you to do more and do better. Try to finish 3 tasks for 30 minutes and if you accomplished that, try to do more than 3 tasks for the next 30 minutes. If challenging yourself is too much, try using methods like the Pomodoro technique to ensure you take regular breaks so you can avoid burnout. Check out the benefits of going outside during your breaks or even having a comfortable work set up outside if you have a garden or patio.

After

Don’t forget to reward yourself after you have accomplished the necessary tasks for the day. Practice good self-care and give yourself affirmations that you were productive and you did a good job that day. Reward yourself with two episodes of your favorite show. Treat yourself with ice cream after a long day’s work. Nothing is more rewarding than a day of hard work and consistent effort. You did good and you did well. Tomorrow is another day for new opportunities and possibilities.

Boosting motivation and reducing procrastination has always been and will be one of the major problems in establishing a healthy working environment. The work shift in this pandemic only increased stress levels for the majority of employees today. You can help yourself by dealing with these concerns healthily.

By making sure that you have a plan on how to deal with your procrastination blunders, you’ll find yourself making more outputs and enjoying the work environment you’ve made for yourself in the four corners of your home. Empower your time and empower yourself by helping your body go up and running for the career you chose to be in.