Working from home often changes your regular routine and can sometimes negatively affect your motivation to get things done. You may experience feelings such as not be able to get into ‘work mode’, struggling to focus, or procrastination. But we have some tips that might be able to help!
Get up on time
Sleeping in can be a huge de-motivator. It will mess with your morning routine and you may feel like you have to get straight into work without setting yourself up... this can lead to a midday slump. Try to get up at your usual time and stick to a simple morning routine of ‘getting ready’. You may not need to put a face of make up on, or wrangle a tie but it can be helpful to shower, get dressed in comfortable clothes, and start your day with a tea or coffee before starting work. You may even want to chuck in a quick exercise session before your shower. By having a morning routine, you will give yourself the opportunity to wake up and get into the right mindset.
Plan your week/Create a list
As you sit down to start your week, make a list of all the things you have to do by Friday. Then, each morning, make a list of the things to complete in that day only. This will help guide you and prompt you to tick things off your list. If you work well with time pressures, you can even give yourself a pretend timeline in which certain tasks have to be complete.
Have a clear work space at home
To help you get in ‘work mode’, have a designated space where you do your work. This could be one area of your house or maybe two. Avoid the couch, but make sure you are comfortable wherever your work station is. By repeatedly doing your work in the same space/s you will subconsciously link that area to your work and may find it easier to get stuck into your projects.
Chat to your colleagues
Keep in touch with people via chat functions such as ‘Teams’ and include a video call every now and again. Not only does talking about work encourage you to do yours, but it can also help to be social and remember other people are working remotely too. You will be able to re-create a new version of the ‘office environment’ which can inspire your usual work ethic.
Reward yourself
We love this tip. Make sure you reward yourself after completing a big task, or a bunch of small ones. If you’ve ticked everything off your to-do list this week, fantastic! Treat yourself. How you reward yourself is up to you. By rewarding your own good behaviour you will be motivated to continue that standard of work so that you can receive another reward.
Get moving
Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself to move! But, you can use movement as a way to break up your work at home. Figure out the best time for you to be active and go for a walk/run, take an online gym class or do some yoga. Whatever your choice of exercise... it’s up to you. It can be very energising to move your body throughout the day.
Take breaks
Whilst taking breaks might seem counterproductive to getting things done... it’s actually vital that we do. Working straight through the day increases levels of stress and exhaustion and often depletes us of creative and productive energy. If you go a few days without any breaks, you will find yourself way too tired and uninspired. Frequent breaks often lead to creative thinking, and productivity as it is an opportunity for you to refresh and replenish your mental resources.
Part of RGF Staffing ANZ, Chandler Macleod, we get people.
Our specialties
Our specialties
Our offices
More from us
Chandler Macleod acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country. We pay our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to elders past and present, whose land we stand upon today.
© Chandler Macleod 2025 All rights reserved Sitemap