[outfit_details]Stay Motivated While Working From Home Look in Partnership with White House Black Market
Flutter Sleeve Blouse, Houndstooth Skirt with Flounce Hem, Strappy Heels, Pearl Belt, Earrings
Dining Table, Metal Chairs, Tiled Monogram Mug, Laptop Skin[/outfit_details]

Working from home can be incredible. Your commute consists of steps instead of miles and you’ll most likely never hit traffic. You’ll always have a place to make your lunch and eat it in peace, too. However, at the same time, it can be hard to stay motivated. Being in the same spot you want to hang out and live in can make it hard to want to hustle. To help tackle this, I want to share four ways to stay motivated while working from home. No matter what kind of job you have or what your passions are, it’s important to keep fueling that fire. I hope this inspires you to get up and at ’em!

1. DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Easily my favorite and I think the most important. It can be very easy to want to stay in your pajamas, whip out your laptop and want to start cranking. However, I believe clothes don’t just represent style, but how you feel. I know when I’m wearing an outfit I love and feel confident in, it makes tackling those hard tasks a little easier. You don’t have to go all out but it doesn’t hurt to put on a nice blouse, skirt and some heels if it will make you feel like a boss. Or, if it works for you to just change into athleisure just to get yourself out of that ‘I just rolled out of bed’ vibe, that works too! This is a quick way to stay motivated while working from home.

2. BE ON TIME

Set a schedule for when to “get to work” and stick to it. Most of us wouldn’t dream of walking into the office late, so you shouldn’t do the same at home! Set your alarm like you would for a traditional office job, wake up, get ready and then get cranking. This also helps separate your professional and personal life. For me, it’s important to start work right in the morning. Waking up early leads to productivity and I like to tackle one or two easy tasks then get to work on the hard ones or ones that’ll take up a lot of time.

3. Write Down Your Goals & Tasks

I have to write things down or I’ll forget them. Don’t fall into the lazy trap of “I’ll make a mental note” or “I’ve got it all in my head” because it is a trap. I have a planner and spend my Sunday and Monday really getting into what needs to get done that week. I go through emails and texts to see what deadlines I need to jot down. Then I also fill in time to work on those deadlines. I’ll also re-assess every day to see what fires need to be put out or what needs my immediate attention. Once I complete a task, I cross it off. This is key for me to stay motivated while working from home. Plus, you’ll force yourself to get things done, which leads to the feeling of satisfaction at the end of the time instead of resentment toward yourself.

Also, try not to overwhelm yourself or get too ambitious. Be reasonable and budget your time. If it’s impossible for you to finish all three big tasks, don’t write all three down for the same day. This will only lead to a possible feeling of failure, lack of motivation and that’s a downward spiral.

Being your own boss definitely has its perks but you have to hold yourself accountable or everything will come crumbling down. If you find you cannot hold yourself accountable, reach out to a friend, significant other, or someone in your industry to see if they can check in on you. Whether it’s a simple “Hey did you get that big task done this week?” or “making sure you’re killing it today with that project”. Johnny will check in with me every once in a while when he sees it’s past my “posting” time and I haven’t posted.

4. Take Mental Breaks

I know for me, it’s easy to keep cranking for hours on end. When my creative juices are flowing, I want to keep going and that’s great! But it’s important to make sure burnout doesn’t get at you. Working from home can bring its own stresses, including wanting to get everything done in a ridiculously short amount of time. Or even thinking you can keep working into the night without stopping. Every forty minutes or so, I’ll take a break. I’ll check Instagram and respond to comments and DMs. Maybe I’ll watch a figure skating video on YouTube.

I hope these ways to stay motivated while working from home help you, whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur or have the ability to work from home what would traditionally be your office job. I’m excited to be posting more content like this.