From piles of dirty laundry to daytime TV, there are tons of potential distractions within reach.
Create a Schedule
Without a structured workday, time can get away from you.
Or you might find that you easily get off track or distracted while working.
Morsa Images / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Projects that used to take 20 minutes are suddenly lasting 2 hours.
Thats why its important to have a clear schedule.
Establish a time to begin and end work.
venture to stick to it as much as you could.
Establish a Dedicated Workspace
You might be tempted to work in bed.
After all, its likely the most comfortable space in the house.
But when you associate your bed with work, it caninterfere with your sleep.
And trouble sleeping will affect your performance the following day.
Most sleep experts recommend reserving your bed for sleep and sexual activity.
So even though your bed might feel like a comfortable spot, create a workspace somewhere else.
Scheduling your timewill also hold you more accountable.
And youll beless likely to procrastinatewhen youve given yourself a tight deadline.
Limit Distractions and Interruptions
You might find that you struggle to get back on task each time youre interrupted.
it’s possible for you to stay motivated by limiting the distractions and interruptions you experience.
This may mean muting your phone notifications and only checking your email once an hour.
Or placing your phone on Do Not Disturb until you complete a specific task.
If youre working from home with kids, keep them occupied to reduce how often they interrupt you.
Give them tasks to do and plan to check on them at a certain time.
Establish some ground rules about what constitutes a legitimate reason for them interrupting you while working.
Tell yourself that you only have to work on something for 10 minutes.
Then, after the 10-minute mark, you’re free to take a break if you want.
More times than not, youll likely find that at the 10-minute mark youll choose to keep going.
Usually, getting started is the toughest part.
But once you do, its easy to keep the momentum going.
Reward Yourself
You might find you work best when you know theres a little reward waiting for you.
A littleincentivecan often go a long way toward helping you get work done efficiently.
And itll help you see what youre capable of accomplishing.
Challenge Yourself
Sometimes, a little challenge can help get you moving, too.
For example, you might give a shot to write a certain amount of words in 30 minutes.
You might also make some discoveries about yourself.
Learning these things about yourself might help you set up your day for success.
Being more aware of your time helps you use it wisely.
And challenging yourself in some way might provide the extra incentive you need.
Practice Good Self-Care
Youll never be at your best if youre exhausted and running on caffeine and sugar only.
You need a healthy diet, plenty of rest, and good self-care strategies to perform at your peak.
Eating a healthy diet might not be as easy when youre limiting your trips to the grocery store.
And video chatting with friends isnt the same as meeting in person.
As your stress level increases, yourself-careshould increase right alongside it.
Experiment With Different Strategies
There are plenty of online tips about how to work well from home.
But everyone is different.
And what works for one person might not work well for another.
So its important to experiment with different strategies to discover what works well for you.
Or, if youre afraid studying will bring frustration, you might find yourself binge-watching Netflix instead.
In these cases, the lack of motivation stems from your desire to avoid discomfort.
So consider what emotion(s) youre trying to avoid feeling.
Acknowledging the emotion might make it feel less scary.
Remind yourself that you might handle feeling uncomfortable.
This might remind you to take action regardless of whether you feel like it.
