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Let’s be honest — it's hard to stay in "work zone" when we’re only 10 steps away from your bed.

Especially when that 3pm slump hits. Unmotivated days are apart of the WFH flow, but what happens when it’s something you can’t get out of? If you’ve found that your WFH days have recently turned from super productive to super not then keep reading. Today, we’re breaking down 5 ways for us to stay motivated and focused when WFH. Let’s get started!

Be realistic with your plans

Sometimes our problem isn’t lack of motivation, but completely overestimating what we can actually accomplish in one day. It’s easy to underestimate how much time each task can take, especially with the added WFH factors: more distractions, home emergencies popping up, or simply a change in priority items.

One way to stay motivated is to actually be realistic with your plans. Try giving your tasks an actual time stamp of when you’re going to be working on it. This will give you a realistic view of what your entire day will look like and may help you realize that the 15 things you had scheduled isn’t possible. You can make your schedule as specific or general as possible, but make sure to leave room for error (in case a task takes longer than you thought).

Break your tasks up

It’s tempting to take everything we have to do and stick it on a long list, ready to cross it off as we complete each one. But sometimes this can actually be a huge de-motivator (especially if your long list just keeps growing).

My sister told me a tip that’s really been helping me center my days - start breaking up your tasks. Try choosing one task to complete in the morning (before lunch) and then one task to complete in the afternoon. Or maybe having a set goal of completing 3 priority tasks a day. Either way, taking time to break your tasks up will allow you to be able to stay motivated and accomplish a lot more in the long run.

Amp up your space

If you find yourself feeling unmotivated, one of your issues maybe you’re not inspired in your work space. Try moving to a place inside your house that has more natural light or lighting a peaceful candle. If you feel bored and un-inspired by your current work space, you can also try jazzing it up.

The desk I have is a nice and minimalistic wood tone, and I added a shelf and some cute faux house plants to make it cozier and homier. Now I love working in my space and look forward to being able to sit and get plugged in. If you’re looking for more home office inspo, check out the blog post I did on that here:

fill the emptiness with noise

Sometimes, just the right music playlist can get us out of our funk and into a productive mindset. Of course, for some people it may be hard to focus when their favorite songs are playing in the background, so try listening to instrumentals or songs in a different language (one of my friends has a morning Parisian coffee shop playlist!).

If music in general is too distracting, you can also try searching different ambiences on Youtube. Sometimes I play “Coffee shop” or similar ambiences noises or because it makes me feel like I’m not at home and helps me focus. See below for a few of my favorite working from home ambiences:

Heavy rain hitting window sill of cozy apartment (1 hr)
Library Sounds (2 hrs)
Coffee Shop Ambience (1 hr)

Take breaks

The best part about working from home is that you have full control of your schedule and how you want to spend it. This means you have instant access to puppy love, walks around the neighborhood, or a quick yoga sesh during the day.

If you’re starting to feel unmotivated during your work day, treat yourself to a mental break. I started doing online workouts at 3pm, and it’s been really helping me stay motivated to power through any last-minute tasks I need to complete before the end of the day.

Overall, the most important thing to remember is that it may take some time to find your groove. Give yourself grace. Some days you may be motivated than others and that’s okay. Take it day by day and understand that each day you wake up and get something done is a job well done.

That’s all I have for now, friends. If you enjoyed this WFH post and want others like it, let me know in the comments below!

Other posts you might like:
Work Day in My Life
The Home Office Nooks We’re Totally Inspired By

Stay inspired,
The Corporate Queen

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