Before Covid changed the lives of everyone, the concept of remote work was uncommon. Today, many companies are realizing employees working remotely provides a huge benefit because they seem to be more productive in the comforts of their own home. If some companies decide to stay remote indefinitely, the question is: How can you keep motivated when you’re working remotely? Well, as someone who has worked remotely for over 4 years, I’ll give you some ideas that have helped me stay motivated.

• Take a few minutes to perform some mindfulness activities. Sometimes the responsibilities in your role might seem overwhelming; maybe a meeting didn’t go as planned or a project is much larger than expected. It could be as simple as taking a five-minute walk around the block or to your backyard. Making sure that you’re taking care of yourself mentally and emotionally will help you stay sharp and motivated in your everyday activities.
• Decorate your desk with things that make you feel happy and get you excited for work. Maybe that is your favorite mug with all your writing utensils, a favorite picture framed, or a basket of your favorite snacks. Since you’re not in an office, you have free rein to keep the things you want on your desk.
• Plan your meals so that you can make sure to have your favorites as leftovers for lunch. The last thing you want to do while you’re working is interrupting your day with cooking, so making your favorites for dinner and having them for leftovers is a great way to stay motivated when you’re working from home. Or if you do feel like eating out, your favorite neighborhood restaurants are probably fairly close to you as well.
• Listen to music in the background when you’re working on your own. Listening to music can put you in a good mood and might give you a beat that helps to find a rhythm as you complete your work. Just make sure to turn it off while you’re in a meeting.
• Reach out to other coworkers. Some people are introverts and others are extroverts so it’s okay to take a 5- or 10-minute break to catch up with a coworker and see how they’re doing. They might also be struggling to stay motivated, and they might not realize that they might just need someone to reach out and have some dialogue. We’re social creatures so it’s important to get some community time.
• Join your company’s Happy Hours. Depending on your company, they might have a Happy Hour where employees get together, talk, and have a great time. You might learn something new or gain an appreciation for other employees who you don’t talk to very often or at all because you’re in totally different departments. If your company doesn’t have a Happy Hour or something similar, try suggesting one because it’s a great way to get some laughs and find motivation as you motivate others.

If you’re not sure what will work to keep you motivated, try all of these, some of these, or none at all. The important thing is to find ways that help you feel good and give you the motivation you need to get the work you need to complete.