Nailing working from home. 10 simple tips to stay motivated and productive.

Up Hellas implemented remote working, since the very first lockdown in March 2020. In the beginning I was very skeptical, since I had never tried this type of work, and I knew I was going to miss working with my team.

 After a couple of days, I started to like it a bit more. First of all, I saved so much time - I didn’t have to get dressed for work, put on my makeup etc. and of course I didn’t have to commute! I woke up and I was at work, I ended my workday and I was home. Although, I was never really off the clock, I never shut down the computer and I kept checking reports, emails etc.

 After a couple of months, I started feeling exhausted, easily irritated and not that much productive. It was clear to me that things need to change in order to stay motivated, productive, and avoid burnout. I began discussing with my boss and my colleagues on how they are coping with the new reality. We talked about different challenges that every single one of us was facing and how to overcome them. I also read almost every article that was written about this, by then.

 I was happy to find that it was a common problem and that they are plenty of tips online, suggesting several different ways to boost your motivation and increase your productivity.

I was determined to find out what works best for me.

 Here’s what I learned:

1.     Establish a Dedicated Workspace

Beds are not made for working. Bedrooms are meant for sleeping and relaxing.

Ideally, you need a spare room to use as an office space and keep anything work related in there. Unfortunately, this is not realistic for many of us so the kitchen table or a desk in the corner of the living room might be better alternatives to your bedroom.

Many articles suggested finding alternative workplaces outside the house, but I 've never tried it. I don’t think I could concentrate in an open space and coffee shops are currently closed.

2.     Eliminate distractions

I can discipline myself enough to get my work done, but what about the others we live with? In your home office you need to set work-related boundaries with your family or roommates about when they can and cannot enter, as if you were at work, and when you are not available for normal home interactions.

Especially with kids, it’s key to find activities to keep them occupied and plan to check on them at a certain time. Establish some ground rules about what constitutes a legitimate reason for them interrupting you. Most importantly, do something fun together when you’re finished working.

If the nature of your work allows it, put your cell phone away and check it on your breaks. If not, you can eliminate distractions on your phone by turning off your notifications.

Same with social media and internet. Try not to check your social media profiles while you are working. If you absolutely must check them, do it during one of your scheduled breaks.

3.     Get dressed for work

Clothes have a strong psychological effect on our motivation and ability to work.

When you get up and get dressed, you signal to your brain that it’s time to do work. You don’t need to get in a full suit or business attire. Instead, try to wear something that doesn’t make you feel too much like having a lazy day at home.

When you wear nice clothing, even at your home office, you feel better about yourself. It boosts your confidence, makes you feel more powerful, and therefore more productive. Plus, you’ll have no reason to be alarmed if your conference call suddenly becomes a video call.

4.     Create a Schedule

We are creatures of habit and having regular work hours makes it easier to differentiate between your work time and your personal time. If you are not good at time management when working from home, set an alarm clock, so you will know when it is time to stop working and start taking care of your personal life.

Set a regular work schedule, wake up on time, exercise, shower, get dressed for work, eat a healthy breakfast, even talk with a friend, and then open your computer.

Make a checklist of the tasks you need to complete, prioritize according to how urgent they are and your most productive time of the day. Following your schedule, will allow you to prioritize your tasks, be more organized and finish your shift on time, with no delays.

Planning some personal time every day, is also very important to avoid any kind of mental health related issues (like anxiety, depression, burnout). It will allow you to look forward to something and feel refreshed on the next day.

5.     Give yourself breaks

Although I am generally organized with my time, there are occasions where I feel overwhelmed. Plan out what you absolutely need to get done that day and prioritize. Then break down what you need to deliver into small, achievable steps that you can check off along the way. I find it very helpful challenging myself by setting personal mini goals and deadlines.

Schedule regular breaks. There is plenty of science to back up the claim that regular breaks boost our energy and vitality, increase our motivation, improve our focus, and make us more productive. Not taking regular breaks can cause muscle and joint problems, and even cause repetitive strain injuries.

There are plenty of time management techniques, choose what suits you the most and don’t neglect your breaks. Do whatever you want during your break - daydream, have a snack, do some errands etc. I strongly recommend choosing anything that allows you to disconnect from your work mentally and physically.

6.     Reward Yourself

Everyone needs a boost. Every time you achieve one of your goals, take a small break, enjoy the moment, embrace your success! You can also find ways of rewarding yourself at the end of each task or day.

For me it can be playing with my dog, chatting with my friends, going in my terrace and enjoying the sun or preparing a special dinner - anything that doesn’t include a screen. And for my big reward at the end of the month, I choose a bag of chips!!!

For others, that might mean rewarding yourself with a workout, playing with your kids, listening to a podcast, watching videos on YouTube, visiting one of your favorites websites, taking a look at your social media, having a nice cup of your tea or coffee, ordering your favorite food, a bit of online shopping etc.

Find what works for you, try different things but be careful… Turn these distractions into rewards, and then have the willpower to use them in moderation.

7.     Practice Good Self-Care

Ergonomics is not only for the office. You can make many adjustments, depending on the work you do, using items from around the house. I use books to raise my laptop to a comfortable eye level. I sit at the narrow side of the table so that I have the space to keep my arms and wrists nice and straight. I use a back pillow and some towels to sit on. Now I am trying to find something to use as a footrest.

Try to change up your posture every hour to reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain. Take breaks to stretch, rest your eyes away from the screen. Try to incorporate in your routine exercises you can do at your desk.

Don’t omit to work out. I suggest outdoor activities but there are plenty of videos for all levels to work out in house. We used to go with my colleagues to the gym after work thanks to UpFit, now instead we are sharing videos. Working out gives you a boost of energy, helps you think more clearly, and makes you feel like you did right by yourself. 

Sleep well. Without proper rest, even simple things become difficult. I am crankier for sure and with lower mental and physical energy. 

Eat well. Prepare your breakfast and your lunch as you would do if you were going to the office. Fueling yourself properly will give you the energy you need to power through your to-do list. Truth to be told, I prefer takeout for lunch but with my Go for Eat card I have lots of healthy choices and I can keep track of my expenses.

8.     Regulate Your Emotions

We all have our off days. With this situation, the restriction, the social distancing, and the uncertainty probably even more. What coping habits we will choose is crucial.

My first instinct was to lay on my couch and do nothing but watch tv. Soon and with the help of my scale, I admitted to myself that I need to respond to the stress in healthier ways, such as reading, exercising, eating healthier, learning a new skill, and getting out of my house for workout, long walks with my dog, running errands or for whatever reason as often as possible.

Music is the medicine for everything. It can relieve stress, makes your work a little more fun, makes you feel that you are not alone and, most importantly, makes you more productive. Many studies suggest that listening to your favorite music, whatever genre, can also encourage deeper focus.

9.     Be Social

Many of us go to work to socialize. I always knew that my colleagues help me and motivate me to achieve better results. Working remotely can be lonely, and many people can start feeling desperate because of the lack of social contact.

Even if we are isolated right now, we can still stay in touch with others – don’t just wait for others to reach out. That could mean emailing colleagues more often, having conference calls, video conferences, using chat tools or just make a phone call.

We plan regular meetings as a team for different reasons. One is for achievements; one is for planning; and the best kind is just to catch up. We can discuss about our work issues, things that were challenging, interesting, funny, talk about us, our news, our plans for the weekend etc.

10.  Accountability Buddy

What I found to be the most helpful tip for me, was my work buddy which turn out to be my accountability buddy (I recently found out that there is a name for it!) and we tried online body doubling.

We weren’t online throughout the day, but we had an open line of communication. Every morning we would say good morning and some small talk, tell each other what we were aiming to do that day, keep checking on each other during the day, and at the end of the day discussing whether we kept our commitments, how we did it, some feedback and sharing some ideas to overcome any issues.

 Nothing can replace the personal contact, but it is better than nothing. It gives you the sense that somebody else is also working with you. It is very helpful if you are stuck or you cannot concentrate. It helps you keep track of time, stay motivated and keep your commitments.

Remaining positive and motivated is an important side of the corporate world both for personal and business reasons.

Everyone is different so it’s important to experiment with different strategies to discover what works well for you, to do your best work in the comfort of your own home.

Working from home is a challenge, but that doesn’t mean we cannot do it!