How to stay motivated working and studying from home
For many, we are now in the second month of trying to navigate studying/working from home for the first time. We know it can be really difficult and unsettling, so we’ve put together some tips on how to successfully manage this change.
Get up early
When you have no lecture to be on time for, or a boss watching you clock in, it can be hard to stick to your normal routine and structure. Resist the urge of going to bed late, and getting up at mid-day. Staying focused and getting up at a decent time will fuel your productivity. Waking up an hour before you want to start working, can help you to get your body ready for the day.
Get dressed in normal clothes
It’s been suggested that if you wear the clothes that you normally associate with chilling out on the sofa at home, you will be less productive. Try putting on clothes that you would normally wear to college, or for a day out, and see if it alters your mood and productivity.
If you can, make a proper space to study/work
In the first few weeks of this new world, you might have found yourself working from a laptop on your sofa or bed. However, not being able to separate your working day from your normal home life will start to have an impact on your productivity and mental health – not to mention posture! If you don’t have the space to make an area for your computer, try packing and tidying your stuff up at the end of your day and see if it makes a difference to being able to separate the studying or working day from your home life.
Make a realistic plan
At the start of the day, write down what you would like to achieve that day/week. Having a list of the topics you need to study, or jobs that you need to get done, will help you to stay focused on the days when you start to feel overwhelmed. Being able to cross off jobs as they have been done, can be very satisfying and helps you to stay motivated.
Talk to people
Never underestimate how important social interaction is. When you are used to seeing people every week in college, and bouncing off their energy and ideas, it can be a missing adjustment learning to work without that interaction. Set up a group WhatsApp with your course mates, organise a video call every week to check in with each other, and remember that your PAT is on hand to help you through this daunting new world. Having a call scheduled somewhere in the middle of your day, can also help you to be more productive either side of the call.
Take breaks
When you are working/studying from home it can be really hard to split up the day and you may find that you are spending much more time than normal staring at a screen. Make sure that you take regular breaks to clear your mind and re-focus. Read a book, listen to some music, or call a friend – do whatever works for you. If you can, eat your lunch in a different room to your workspace as this allows another opportunity to get away from your workstation.
Get some exercise
Whilst in lockdown, we are allowed to have one form of outside exercise a day. If you can, make sure you use it at some point in the day to get outside and get some fresh air. If you can’t get outside, make sure that you open a window whilst you are working so that the fresh air can get in to the room.
Find your background noise
Whether you want to work in silence, or have something on in the background, play around and find what works best for you. If you are used to being in a busy classroom or office, you might find slight background noise will help you to feel more settled.
Be strict with your social media
It can be tempting to sit and scroll on your phone for hours, but you wouldn’t be doing this in a lecture or office, so make sure that you put your phone to the side and avoid the distraction. Social media will still be there at the end of the day 😊
Reward yourself
If you manage to finish that bit of coursework, or a particularly difficult piece of work, reward yourself with something you enjoy – an episode of your favourite show, an hour on the Nintendo Switch etc. Having something to look forward to, will hopefully give you the motivation you need to get that piece of work done throughout the day.
And finally, go with what’s right for you
Everyone copes in different ways, so if you see your friends working out every day and bursting with positivity, this does not mean that you have to act the same way. As long as you are managing to get your work done, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Some days will be better than others, and it is perfectly ok to accept this.
