How are you staying motivated working from home?

[User1110]

I have been working from home since March 2020 and finding it more and more difficult to stay motivated. I’m not sure if I just need to take a break and reset (I have taken 1 week holiday since then as I can’t travel, had no time off over Xmas etc).

I am finding it a massive struggle to motivate myself and get work done. I put a lot off, which then ends up being a stressful rush when the deadline comes. I’m constantly making cups of tea, going to get water l, checking my phone, replying to whatsapp messages, hoovering, washing etc etc. On busy days/weeks I do work hard when pressure is applied and generally work late and stay focused.

My lack of motivation has only come on in the last few months and I am quite ashamed of myself.

Any tips? I tried turning my phone onto airplane mode but then turned it off again. I almost just feel twitchy and a bit all over the place, if that makes sense.

I don't have advice but I'm the same. I only get work done when its about to be late and the adrenaline fuels me!

Same here, I've always struggled with focus but it's so much worse now. Something about getting a year into it, maybe? I can work effectively between 5am and 8am, and late at night, but that's not good for work life balance. Or sleep.

More interruptions doesn't help - DH bumbling around, DD coming home from school at 3.30, cats jumping on the desk during every meeting!

That said, I spent a day in the office recently just to see how I found it. All alone and it was incredible for several hours, got loads done. But then I decided to have a quick break, look on Mumsnet, and well... let's just say the productivity took a bit of a nosedive for the rest of the afternoon...

Well I’m glad it’s not just me! I also feel very tired all the time - really lacking in energy or any get up and go. I hate it because I genuinely love my job and industry

I’m not, I’m trying but I just can’t do it anymore.

I am the same and hate myself for it! Usually really motivated but recently finding it hard. Putting it down to needing a break from these four walls.

Both DH and I were having the same chat earlier and he still goes in the office 3D a week. Maybe it’s just this time of year and the news keeps reminding us it’s not going away. I try to find one thing a day I enjoy and make myself tick 1-2 things off my to-do list. I’m hoping there will be an up turn in motivation soon as it’s not like either of us to feel this malaise about life.

I'm the same plus it's not that busy at the moment so I'm finding it even more difficult to stay focussed. DP is constantly talking in meetings all day which doesn't help. Im actually ready to go back to the office now.

Google the Pomodoro method. It’s all about setting timers for tasks to focus for 25 minutes at a time before taking breaks. Working in small chunks is much more manageable and less daunting then working constantly.

My motivation and focus has gone off a cliff over the last month or so. It’s been really awful. Ive put off doing work, found myself really up against deadlines and not done myself justice. I am only just about getting away with it but just a breath away from someone having a word, I’m sure.

I feel dreadful, because I am usually pretty motivated and hard working. Ive done some really good work over the last 15 months, my motivation has at some stages been really strong. And it’s not as if I’ve been doing anything of note, I’m just wasting time.

Ive decided to take parental leave to give myself a break. Combined with annual leave, I have a good stretch of time off over the summer. I’m lucky to be able to afford to do so, I know. But I’m hoping that it will give me time and space, and that I will have more drive and focus when I return.

It sounds as if you need a holiday. Working in short bursts can be useful when you are less motivated. Using a phone minder app can be useful. Sometimes you need to accept that you won't be as productive but then some days in the office are less productive than others.

Honestly you sound burnt out. Can you take some holiday soon?

I've worked from home home years now, pandemic or no, and it suits me really well. I get dressed in "work" clothes, I take a walk during lunch, and I walk away from the laptop at half five. I used to let work take over my life, work late or over the weekend, but I had to stop, it was driving me bonkers. I felt frayed around the edges. Being distracted and then cramming work in to meet deadlines just feels like you never stop working.

@AllTheCakes thank you! I’ve just had a quick Google and it looks to be very effective. I’m going to download an app for it.

I’m sooo glad I’m not the only one feeling like this - I was starting to feel terrible. I do think it could be a case of just being stuck in the same four walls for sure!

I also think my morning routine is pretty shit - I have got into a horrible habit of sometimes (not all the time!) staying in my pjs, getting out of bed literally 5 mins before I start work or even worse, working in bed of a morning - and then showering at lunch time and getting dressed. Please tell me I’m not the only one

I'm feeling similarly lacking in concentration/focus/motivation.

I can get the work done when I have a hard deadline but other than that I am wasting time and then making it up in the evening.

I'm in a good place career wise so I need to not blow it. My set up at home is good and not commuting saves me time and money so I want to make it work in the longer term too.

I just feel so flat and lacking motivation.

OP, are you me?

I struggle with this too sometimes. Have you got any decent colleagues? We sometimes have a virtual meeting during the day which we just leave open while we do paperwork. I thought it would be distracting but actually it makes me much more accountable as I can't wander off and put on some washing or stare at my phone

I don't think you have enough to do. I find having too much work and insufficient time quite motivating.

Is no one pissed off at you? In which case it doesn't matter and you can keep messing about.

I put my phone in another room, dont do household chores except laundry / dishwasher on lunchbreak, or at beginning of the day I tidy up.

@ZenNudist the thing is, I do have enough to do. I just stupidly don’t get it done in the day as I’m doing other stuff and it spill over to my evenings. Sometimes I have so much to do that it is overwhelming and I literally do everything to avoid it. Monday’s are particularly bad as I often have so many tasks and I know I’m not going to finish work until 7-8pm anyway so therefore I feel less motivated, get distracted, finish work at 10pm

I’ve constantly got people Slacking, emailing me for stuff (not chasing). It gets a bit much and I go and hoover instead. Or check mumsnet but generally I hit all my deadlines so I haven’t got in trouble yet, and really hope I won’t!

I’ve also started making minor mistakes that get picked up my my manager. Things that can be fixed easily but it’s a bit concerning my manager is noticing...

following - this is me! and has only come on quite recently for me

I usually work from home, pre pandemic. I put my availability clearly in my calendar and clearly show when I am on the school run/ on lunch/ finishing early/ working a bit later. This helps with clear separation of work and home. I stick to this. We have weekly càlls with the team to check in and think through what we are doing. I have a rolling to do list and work plans which I update at the start of the day/ week. I get up and walk around/ get a cuppa/ hang out the washing every few hours so I am not constantly at my desk. The day usually flies but we are not short of work and I have a large degree of control over my work so that helps for me. Micro management is what erodes motivation.

[quote User1110]@ZenNudist the thing is, I do have enough to do. I just stupidly don’t get it done in the day as I’m doing other stuff and it spill over to my evenings. Sometimes I have so much to do that it is overwhelming and I literally do everything to avoid it. Monday’s are particularly bad as I often have so many tasks and I know I’m not going to finish work until 7-8pm anyway so therefore I feel less motivated, get distracted, finish work at 10pm

I’ve constantly got people Slacking, emailing me for stuff (not chasing). It gets a bit much and I go and hoover instead. Or check mumsnet but generally I hit all my deadlines so I haven’t got in trouble yet, and really hope I won’t![/quote]
I am absolutely like this too. I’ve put off a large task for about 4-6 weeks, by distracting myself, rather than just starting it. I’m so fortunate that I got away with it for so long.

Buy t now it’s crunch time. The work has to be done and nobody else is going to do it for me. It is my work, and people are asking for it. So I’ve had to start it today. And I’ve realised that if I just do it, it is actually quite interesting! I’ve spent most of the day on it and I’m feeling a sense of satisfaction that I’ve not felt for months. Now that I’ve felt that feeling again, I can keep going.

Unfortunately, I now also need to work this weekend on it, as I have left it all so late and it’s a large piece. Which is a shame.

Another here. Plenty to do and deadlines beginning to loom. But I just sit and stare at my to do list and don't know where to start. So, I think I'll make a tea, wander round the garden, in the belief lack of physical activity was the blocker. Usually it's not and I'm just looking for distractions. I went to the office this week and did find it productive, but also spent a fair bit of time chatting to anyone else who happened to be there. I often spend up to an hour a day on the phone to my colleague, the calls could be 10mins but I think we both crave company outside of our family. I pop her on speaker and get on with work while we chat...
I do wonder if the tide will turn on everyone wanting to work from home permanently. I'm going in a day or two a week from July, I need the change of scene and to feel a connection to the workplace.

It's like an itch knowing I have stuff to do, so I generally crack on.

My challenge is requests by colleagues that I find unreasonable or tedious. I can easily procrastinate on those.

Maybe a schedule will help? I try and empty the dishwasher and hang the washing out before the school run. When I drop my dd off I go for a 15-20 min walk, and then I have 1-1.5hr lunches blanked out, where I workout, shower, eat and relax. Then I do a bit more work, collect dd (another quick walk!) and work until about 6.30. I could have a shorter lunch and stop earlier but I just get so fed up sitting there for hours on end. Dd won’t need me to take her to school from sept (secondary) but I’m going to continue the walks regardless. Getting a Fitbit has really helped. I also work much better under pressure, and I’m in a bit of a quiet time at work at the moment and so do find myself checking in on my phone a bit too much. Putting it on the other side of the room helps!

I do think also it’s me pushing the routine (or lack of). This time two years ago I was up at 6, out the door by 7 with a nice outfit and make up. I would have never taken this piss like this in the office - mainly because my manager was sat right next to me - but also because I just felt more up together. And my goal was always to try and leave on time so I would definitely work as hard as I could in my core hours.

But now I have no where to be, no where to leave. Everything is a bit blurred. I feel like a couple of weeks ago it was December but it was 6 months ago and all I’ve been doing in that time is sitting at my desk and drinking tea and god knows what else!