How To Deal With Remote Work Motivation Killers
While remote work has always been appealing to the professionals who have never had the opportunity to try it out, some quickly learned that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
During the COVID-19 crisis, millions of employees worldwide had the opportunity to give remote work a try.
While some felt instantly at home (pun intended), others found it quite challenging to maintain the same level of focus and productivity.
Let’s explore some of the best-known motivation killers in remote working environments, as well as the ways to deal with them.
What are Some of the Most Common Remote Work Motivation Killers?
Lack of structure, unclear boundaries, and limited access to the necessary tools are just some of the motivation killers that remote employees face.
Here are the five most common ones:
1. Lack of structure
The lack of structure is probably the number one reason why employees feel less productive and demotivated when working from home.
If you think about it, spending 8 hours in the office seems to go by much faster than spending 8 hours working from home.
This is due to the fact that we — or rather our brains — are accustomed to fitting periods and action into rigid structures.
Take those structures away, and, Houston, we may have a problem!
2. Lack of boundaries
Another complaint about remote work many emphasize is the lack of boundaries between personal and professional time, particularly when they’re sharing their home with family.
For instance, remote employees have a hard time explaining to their kids that even though they are present, they are not available to them while working.
Remote employees also report that their work tends to carry into their personal lives, affecting their time with their significant others, parents or roommates.
While clear boundaries need to be established, it’s sometimes easier said than done.
3. Compromised work-life balance
For most people working at the office, their workday finishes once they leave the office and head home.
However, when working from home, these lines can easily get blurred.
The “since I’m already here, might as well do it” mentality can easily lead to burnout.
Remember that the office hours are set for a reason. According to our friends from a Dallas software development company, proper task planning and sticking to the work hours is important to set boundaries between life and work and promoting a healthy remote work environment.
4. Lack of appropriate tools, equipment and services
When working from the office, you most likely have all the necessary tools, equipment and services that allow you to do your job effectively. For example, something as simple as access to coffee machines and cafeteria services can save plenty of idle time.
However, when working from home, you need to rely on your existing setup and the technology you can carry over from the office. Without the proper tools, equipment and services necessary, you may find yourself frustrated by the amount of menial work.
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5. Burnout
According to various experts and mental health professionals, burnout is one of the leading motivation killers in the modern workplace.
Traditionally, this issue has been linked to the long office hours, but it’s becoming more and more prevalent in work-from-home scenarios
As mentioned earlier, the inability to make a clear distinction between work and private life can quickly lead to burnout.
How to Stay Motivated When Working Remotely?
Here are some practical tips you can start applying today:
Designate a work-specific place
For starters, you will need to find a place in your home you feel most comfortable working from. Keep in mind that a living room couch or a dining room table simply won’t cut it most of the time.
In most cases, such busy areas of your home can easily get you distracted from your work, which will negatively affect your motivation.
That’s why you’ll need to find a quiet corner of your home — or design an entire home office if you can — where you’ll be able to dedicate time to your work and your work only.
Develop a routine
Creating a positive routine is another thing that will help you keep your motivation levels high. Just like you would, had you been working from an office, make sure you get yourself ready for the day ahead.
A nice, warm cup of coffee and a healthy breakfast will get you started and prepare you for everything the workday has to throw your way.
On top of that, by making sure you get dressed and ready the same way as if you were working from an office, you’ll feel far more motivated to tackle your daily tasks.
Create your own structure
Moreover, just because you don’t have a boss or a manager monitoring your every move, that doesn’t mean you should become irresponsible. On the contrary!
If you feel like you’re lacking the necessary routine that usually gets you going throughout the day — you can create your own!
Having a clear work plan and properly structuring your workday will help you organize your time better, which will have a significant positive impact on your productivity.
For instance, by organizing the work that needs to be done and segmenting the tasks to fit your work style, you’ll be able to make the most of your daily routine.
Finding it hard to find a structure in your WFH routine? Here are 16 time management tools to your rescue!
Schedule breaks
When working from home, it’s super easy to forget to take breaks. In order to avoid falling into this trap, you can easily set a reminder on your phone.
Make sure you always include a lunch break in your workday, as skipping meals will negatively affect your performance and your overall well-being.
Eliminate distractions
Make sure that the area you’ve chosen to work in is a peaceful and quiet environment.
Communicate with your housemates and make sure you’re all on the same page when it comes to maintaining a productive environment. Get some noise-cancelling headphones if you have to!
The main goal is to create a peaceful environment that will enable you to fully devote yourself to the job.
So, to recap. When working remotely, some of the most common motivation killers include — but are not limited to:
- Lack of structure
- Lack of boundaries
- Poor work-life balance
- Lack of proper equipment and tools
- Burnout
And while it can seriously be difficult to find a way to deal with these hindrances and rediscover your motivation, these few tips will certainly help you out:
- Determine a work-only area
- Develop a routine
- Bring more structure into your workday
- Remember to take regular breaks
- Eliminate distractions
Conclusion
The number of remote or remote and hybrid workers is higher than it was before the 2020 pandemic outbreak. That is why enabling productivity while working from home is essential. Learning how to deal with the common remote work motivation killers will help you stay engaged, focused, and help your business thrive.
One of the best ways of keeping yourself motivated is dealing with boring and tedious tasks quickly (or even automating them). Workflowmax is a job management tool that can help you track costs, time, tasks and deadlines, ultimately helping you to deliver your work on time.
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