Remote work is becoming more and more common. While it may not be as present as it used to be during the pandemic a few years ago, many companies have opted for remote workers to reduce office costs and increase their hiring net. However, if you work remotely, there are many challenges you might face.
The major issue is that you may not get into the right state of mind to work at your best. You need to get yourself motivated to be your best self, both personally and professionally. So, here are a few tips which can help you get into the right headspace.
Make a proper schedule
The first thing you need to do is create your own schedule. This is one of those benefits most remote work positions advertise, but can often result in you always being online to work. So, make a schedule and give yourself a proper workday. This will let you log off when you need to, and get into the zone of your personal life.
You can keep your schedule planned in advance, and print a few copies to put in places like your desk or your refrigerator. Use the weekly planner template on PosterMyWall to make your calendar and fill it in with all your tasks.
Work towards milestones
Once you have your schedule planned out, you can take account of each task. Don’t just try to sit down and complete each task in one go. This will tire you out and also make you lose focus. Instead, break down each task into various milestones and set a time limit for each milestone.
This will help you get work done efficiently, and also get a sense of achievement with each goal you meet.
Eliminate distractions
This is one of the major factors which can get in the way of your remote job. If you work in a shared living area, then there is a lot of room for distractions. These can be in the form of children running around, chores going on, or other such factors.
You need to make sure everyone knows your work hours and does their best to let you focus. You should create a dedicated workspace in a quiet area of your home. This does not just refer to a home office. You can just set up a small foldout desk in a corner or even inside a closet, if you have limited space.
Take short breaks
It is not humanly possible to do your best by just sitting at your desk for long stretches of time. You will lose focus, and will feel resentful of your work. Take short breaks between tasks to walk around, have something to drink, or just to rest your eyes.
You can follow the Pomodoro technique to make this practice more organized. This involves working for 25-minute stretches with 5-minute breaks in between. Set a timer for this purpose, so that you can get back to your tasks with a refreshed mindset.
Use the right organizational tools
As a remote worker, you won’t have access to a lot of the tools a physical workplace has on offer. You need to find alternatives so that you can organize and structure your work in a professional manner.
Look up online tools which are affordable and also meet your workday needs. Most of these tools will offer free trials or services for individual workers, so do your research before you make a software toolkit for your remote work. This toolkit should include tools for communication, file storage, task assignment, and work tracking.
Give yourself little rewards
Sometimes, you may feel bored and unmotivated when you’re working with no one around to actually see and appreciate what you do. So, make sure you don’t fall down this pit of feeling low or unappreciated.
Give yourself little rewards for significant milestones and tasks. This can be something as small as a sweet treat or something as major as a new smart watch, for bigger goals. When you get into this practice, you will be more likely to feel motivated and satisfied with your work.
Incorporate exercise and meditation
You need to be in the right headspace and feeling to get motivated when you work remotely. So, you should cultivate your mental and physical fitness to get into that headspace more easily. Incorporate meditation into your routine to work on your focus. This will also help you be more productive and be able to switch between your work mode and relaxation mode.
In addition, exercise is also a great way to generate endorphins and boost your motivation. So, start your day off with a short meditation and exercise routine to get through a great workday remotely.
To sum up, it might feel hard to get motivated while you work remotely, but there are many ways you can get into the right mindset.