Getting motivated when working from home?

Question

I work from home on IT projects. The company I work for is in another country. Sometimes it is really difficult getting motivated to work. I work alone on most of these projects so I dont have any interaction with other people. What can I do to get motivated?

Answer 1

Working from home can be difficult if you get easily distracted, or like me, bored very easily and seek out distraction. When I worked from home I had to stick to a strict time plan where I would break my work up into hour slots and not get off my chair until I have done the work I set myself to do within that hour. If I finished earlier than expected I would either treat myself with a break (but this can prove fatal so be careful) or I would rattle on and finish my day early and be really pleased with myself. This might sound ridiculous to some but if you are a sociable person and work totally on your tod, it can be very demotivating. The great thing is though you can work in your underwear, smoke fags at your desk and play loud music all day long. You also have Jeremy Kyle on tap to shout at (although he can't hear you, and that was also one of the fatalities I spoke of before.....)

Answer 2

Enjoy what your doing – if you don't it can be real tough!

I worked from home for many years, before email or this sort of thing - today you're never alone. Personally I found one of the hardest things was getting away from the work and turning off. Often I would get up early to start work and find myself wondering around the house in my underpants at 3 in the afternoon.

Maybe there's a time of day that you'd find working easier. For me early mornings are a favourite. By starting at 5am I've done a days work by Midday, the rest of the days mine – unless you've too much work. Deadlines are also great motivators – real ones that is - not the sort you try to set yourself, if I have loads of time, procrastination can set in.

I too had a dog, which always needed walking. Guess though that if the work is solitary you do need to be happy with your own company.

Anyhow hope you find your personal solution.

Answer 3

I know exactly what you mean.

I think your main problem is that you do not find the job itself interesting/challenging. Sometimes when I am working on a horridly boring piece of work, I feel like sleeping the whole day... So you could try and influence the pieces of work that come your way.

I also listen to music, My laptop has a couple of GB of music, which, since I work from home, I can happily blast.

Another way is to take regular breaks. I drink a lot of water (good for health), around half a litre every hour. So I take regular pee breaks. Once or twice a day I make myself a cup of coffee.

Finally, I have 2 dogs, when I need a break, I go and disturb them.

I think getting pets is a great idea; I am much less bored nowadays, even if I have extremely boring pieces of work to do.

Answer 4

Say2 u'reself that u'll do an hour's work and then have a break 2 do something else like making a brew or eating or phone someone or just come on this site and look for the stupidest question to give u a laff before u start another hour's work!
Have a good day I'm going shopping!!
xxx

Answer 5

Remind yourself of why you are doing it - what all of the personal rewards are for you in doing it.
Remind yourself of the embarrassment of failure or doing a bad job.
Set aside specific times for work.
Create a working environment.
Do not allow others to interrupt you - you are at work!
Do not drift from impulse to impulse - decide what you will do today & make darned sure that you do it.
Factor in breaks that include interactions with others including the odd phone call.

If the above fails - get a job! (thinking about that prospect may in itself be movitiational enough!)

Answer 6

They say that your brain works best in the first hour or so of working. So, work in regular sessions, then treat yourself- with a snack or half hour of tv. Just be careful not to get distracted.

Think of the cash, and if you really do struggle, then draw yourself a schedule and stick to it. If you work hard and get things done, you'll have more free time for yourself.

When you need something doing, you want to do it but just can't be bothered, you always get that niggling feeling in the back of your head. If you want to get rid of that then crack on!

Answer 7

hmmm.. the guys in our IT dept are a bit opposite. they want to be alone as much as possible locked in an office bythemselves. they have differnt styles; one before he starts working brings in bags of food and drinks; one has his music cd's and headset and a good player; the other has all sort of art posted in his small office. they all work like there's no tomorrow (they don't know time around them) and the company they work for is also in another country but they just do make things happen. I hope you have something like they have that just keeps them going.

Answer 8

previously, i became caught with purely 3 or 4 channels. What did I do? I watched "eco-friendly Acres" and different assinine crap. I remorseful approximately having to visual exhibit unit "eco-friendly Acres". What the hell became I thinking? That and "i admire Lucy" rather wasted my time, while i will have been doing something efficient? What did I study from those exhibits? How gullible i'm to sit down down and watch the crap Hollywood places out. next time, you are able to watch a action picture approximately me. a minimum of i visit be doing something. what is going to you be doing? you will merely be sitting on a sofa gazing my existence as yours passes you thru. perpetually thinking to your self why you sat their and watched the lives of human beings. (optimistically Hollywood will make my existence greater appropriate and greater glorified than it actaully is! they have a knack for doing that.)

Answer 9

time lock onthe door of the office you work in so you cant get out for 8 hours

Answer 10

Im in the same situation. Make your workplace (office room where you are while working ) welcoming, comfy and nice.
I just decorated mine and it make huge difference.small brakes every hour helps too.good luck!