Lockdown Life | How to Stay Motivated When Working From Home

Mattinson Associates Architects and Interior Designers based on the Isle of Wight suggest their tips on how to stay motivated when working from home [WFH]. We’ve all been there, unfocused and fatigued trying to push ourselves through the day when really, we’re not getting far. Now many of us are working remotely, the office atmosphere that motivated you through your tasks is harder than ever to replicate especially with family being at home also. Remember, give yourself a break! We are going through such hard times but to help, we’ve put together a few of our tips for staying motivated at home. Give them a try and if you have any suggestions on any, please share!Manage your day: 

• After your first cup of coffee, have a sit down and schedule your day alongside a list of things that you would like to get done - remember to keep it realistic. Establish a time that you are going to start work, finish and more importantly, when you are going to have breaks. Now that we’ve skipped the morning commute, it might be worth (instead of sleeping in for an extra half hour) doing a little yoga before the day starts or even during a mid morning break. Yoga can significantly improve your focus, boost energy levels and reduce stress.

Improve your Workspace:

• Working from home can be particularly tricky at the moment due to other family members being at home also. However, if you can, try and have a separate area that you can leave and close the door on at the end of the day. If you’re a little stuck for space, we would recommend setting up a small desk in the corner of your room - opt for built in joinery to get the most out of smaller areas and if you’re on a budget try IKEA’S build your own desk planner here: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/planner/byod-planner/

The 10 Minute Rule:

• When you’re facing a task that is particularly challenging, try the 10 minute rule. Here, you tell yourself that you only have to do something for 10 minutes and then you can stop. Once the brain starts working, you’ll find that you’ll easily pass the 10 minute mark and the momentum will keep you going. 

Practice Good Self Care:

• Working from home can make maintaining a healthy diet difficult as we are just a few steps from those delicious biscuits in the kitchen, but try and maintain a good diet as this will have a direct influence on motivation and productivity. Not only that, but having plenty of rest and doing things that you love is so important too. You may not be able to see your friends tonight, but a FaceTime could do just the trick and make you feel so much better. Self care has a direct influence on your self worth, and without that, motivation to work from home will be much harder. 

Personal Growth:

• Where life has been getting a little repetitive over the last few months, learning something new can break the pattern of normal behaviour and when successful, will make you more confident to tackle new tasks. Now this might not mean becoming fluent in Mandarin or becoming the the next Anthony Joshua in boxing, but maybe you’ve seen a new recipe and want to give it a try or even learning a word a day to improve your vocabulary; overall, this will enhance your quality of life and the incredible sense of achievement can improve our mental health significantly. 

We hope you've enjoyed our tips on how to stay motivated at home - check out our blog on how we believe lockdown will change the way we remodel our homes. https://www.mattinsonassociates.com/2020/08/24/post-lockdown-predictions/