Jasmine Khan, Altruist Enterprises

The Covid-19 pandemic has left the nation struggling with a new challenge, how do we stay motivated when working from home?

Altruist Enterprises, mental health at work training specialists, and Surrey HR Forum partners, have compiled some useful ideas to help you to bolster your motivation levels.

Avoid the temptation of procrastination spirals when working from home with these three simple tips:

Top tips for working from home

1) Make sure you have a positive internal narrative

Your internal narrative is how you speak to yourself. Do you celebrate your successes and practice kindness when you fail, or do you always wish you could have done better?

Since we’re in lockdown, we don’t have as many people around to praise us. This means that our internal narrative is going to have a significant impact on our overall self-esteem and mental well-being than it would normally.

These lockdowns have taken a toll on everyone. Covid-19 is a risk to mental health as well as physical health and creates a new level of stress, uncertainty, and social isolation. Everyone’s at risk of developing a negative mindset when things are so changeable.

So, if you’re struggling to be productive working from home, try not to be too hard on yourself. A negative internal narrative saps motivation. Try not to use the words ‘should’ or ‘must’ when referring to our feelings and achievements. Statements such as, ‘I should be over these feelings by now’ or ‘I must try harder at work’ are unhelpful. Try to talk to yourself like you would a good friend. Encourage yourself, reward yourself for little successes and remember that everyone needs support at the moment.

2) Keep moving

Even if you’re familiar with desk working, you would likely have commuted to work and moved around the office during the day. Working from home can cause a notable change in daily exercise uptake, which can lead to a reduction in energy levels. Take the little opportunities to increase the amount you’re moving even if it feels silly at first.

Turn up some music when you’re making a cup of tea and dance it out in the kitchen while the kettle boils! Take the time to properly stretch out your arms, legs, and neck when you get up to take a break from work.

Don’t miss out on your daily exercise despite how tempting it might be now it’s cold outside. Even a short walk to the shops can be so beneficial. It gives you fresh air and a change of environment, which is scientifically proven to improve motivation.

3) Resist the urge to do everything at once

When we’re working from home, there’s lots more to distract us, but it’s vital to stay focused on the task at hand and avoid trying to do everything at once. We stay motivated when we feel like we have a purpose and are making good progress in our work. If you attempt to do everything at once, you risk spreading yourself too thin.

You’ll likely start lots of things, but not get round to finishing them. Your completed projects might not be your best work, because your mind’s been elsewhere. Do things one at a time to preserve and maintain your energy levels.

If you want to stay motivated, accept that you won’t be able to achieve perfection every time.

For more top tips on maintaining motivation and wellbeing, sign up for our free 5-star rated online course –

https://altruist.thinkific.com/courses/working-from-home-5-ways-to-wellbeing