People are working from home more and more. However, many have a big problem finding daily motivation and drive to start your work from home. This is perfectly understandable – you are home, there’s a warm bed on one side, TV on the other, maybe Netflix too and no one looking over your shoulder so aimless browsing and scrolling social media is another option. Some people have kids as well, and chores to do around the house. It’s a distracting environment.
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Read here about what the real benefits are for freelancers to work from home.
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And yet, you have to do the work. Your livelihood depends on it. So, how to find daily motivation working from home? How to get to that point where all you want to do is work and you are extremely focused on it? Here are 10 motivation tips when working from home.
Motivation tips for working from home:
Tip #1: Get out of your Pajamas
There is a myth that freelancers lounge all day in their pajamas on the sofa with a laptop on their lap. However, this myth is largely damaging to your state of mind. Treat your business like – well, a business. Get up from bed, get properly dressed and prepared and start working at a proper desk. Do everything you would do if you worked in an office.
Tip #2: Manage your motivation, Do hard things first
Whatever may be your most dreaded task of the day – or the most boring one – do it first. This will help you get through the day with more ease and you will have easier tasks to look forward to. Of course, not all people work the same way, so doing the worst thing first may actually be demotivational. In that case, do small, easy tasks first to get into the mood and then jump into the hardest tasks. Test this to see what works best for your own daily motivation.
Tip #3: Have a plan
Starting out without a plan can be overwhelming. So, you might want to write down a to do list for all of your tasks and then cross them off as you go. You will know what needs to be done, you won’t forget anything and you will feel much more motivated once you start crossing your tasks off.
Here is some guidance of how to manage your time as a freelancer.
Tip #4: Limit your email use
Most of us use email daily and frequently. However, email can be a huge waste of time when you get into it. So, first thing you need to do is clear your inbox and unsubscribe from all newsletters or lists that you no longer use. This way you limit notifications and save yourself time. Try it! You will have so many less emails to attend to each day.
Then you can set up a time when you’ll review your emails. Make it a part of your to do list and do it only then.
You’ll be a lot
faster in your work.
Tip #5: Take a break often
You can either use the Pomodoro technique or you can set up breaks as you finish each tasks. The Pomodoro technique is a popular time management method developed in 1980’s by Francesco Cirillo where you work 25 minutes and take a break for 5, each 25 minute work period is called a “pomodoro”. After 4 pomodoro’s you take a 15-20 minute break-some people love and thrive on it! The important thing is to actually have those breaks. Have a cup of tea or a piece of fruit between tasks or just relax a bit. Don’t engage in any distracting activities like social media or anything similar because these tend to stretch well into your time for work.
Tip #6: Set a time when you’ll end your work
Have working hours just like you would in any company. This is your company and you are your own boss. So, end your working hours and leave it at that. This may be defined by when your children finish their childcare hours or something similar, but you can also make these decisions on your own. For instance, if you get up at 6 or 7, you can end your working hours at three and that will be enough work for a day.
Tip #7: Get some fresh air, work out and be inspired
Start your day with a run. You’ll be a lot more energized. But if exercise is not something you like to do in the morning, you might want to do it in the afternoon or when you are done working. Exercise can even be done when you have a break. Go outside and take a walk, spend some time in nature. Just that will make you so much happier.
Tip #8: Follow your own clock
If you are a morning person, then getting up at 5am won’t be a problem for your daily motivation and you will work best then. But if you are a night owl, getting up early may seem like a nightmare and you might end up wasting time. So, work according to your own most productive hours. Of course, if you have kids, you may have to work around that to be more productive, but you just need to figure out what works best for you.
Tip #9: Try meditation and get recharged
Freelancers often get stressed and have a lot on their minds. However, this can be fixed with some meditation and relaxation. So, make sure that you do that and that you set yourself up for a nice relaxing session every day. Even a short nap can be beneficial.
Last but not least,
Motivation tip #10: Treat yourself to some fun and enjoyment!
Because you work so hard, you might want to spend some time on things that you love doing. Have your morning coffee in peace, eat a cookie you really love, get a massage or a nice bath, have a glass of wine when you’re done working and so on. Something to look forward to when you need motivation working from home.
Joel Syder is
professional freelance writer at Originwritings.com. He enjoys helping people to work as
comfortably as possible as well as creating articles about things that excite
him.
