Most of us have realized some benefits to working remotely – no travel, casual attire, and schedule flexibility, to name a few. You may have also experienced that the days seem to follow the same pattern and run together. Do you sometimes ask, what day is it? One of the pros or cons, depending on who you ask, is increased productivity. However, when working remotely, it may be hard to maintain motivation and set daily boundaries, making it difficult to separate days. 

To create boundaries and separation of days for remote workers, many strategies can be put in place that will not only create motivation but continue to increase productivity. Identify the strategies that work for you.

Top 5 Strategies to Boost Motivations for Remote Workers

1. Create a Home Office or Dedicated Office Space. While most people enjoy their couch or snacking in the kitchen, combining your workspace with your favorite home activities does not help increase your motivation nor the separation of work and off duty time. When creating your home office space, it helps to make the area look like an office. You should have a place to work and have all the necessary tools and supplies nearby.
   
2. Develop a Regular Routine. It is so easy to take the day as it comes, but we all know that while plans sometimes go awry, even more disorganization occurs when we start with no plan or schedule. Without a structured workday, time gets away, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. If you can develop a schedule that works for you, you can see accomplishment each day. Achieving daily actions makes it easier to stay motivated. It’s essential to define start and end times for the workday clearly. While we more know stuff happens, try to stick to your schedule as much as you can.
   
3. Limit Distractions and Interruptions. Remote workers are often faced with interruptions at home that were not present within a physical office space. Stay motivated by limiting the distractions and interruptions you experience. This may mean setting a schedule to read and respond to email and placing your phone on Do Not Disturb while working on a task. Many are also faced with children at home. Keep them occupied with tasks when you need focused time to concentrate and get things done. If they are old enough to understand, talk with them, and establish rules on when they are allowed to interrupt you while working.
   
4. Plan for Breaks. Living and working in the same space can be difficult. While the length of the breaks varies, all recent studies confirm that taking breaks during your workday can increase motivation and productivity. Some of the specific benefits of taking daily workday breaks are:
   • Allow you to make connections and boost your brain function
   • Help you stay focused
   • Increase creativity
   • Cultivate healthier habits
     
5. Practice Self-Care. When you are working extended hours and running on caffeine and sugar, it is extremely important that you practice self-care. We all do better with a self-care routine. Self-care can simply be maintaining a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest to maintain peak productivity. As many people are social, being creative in reaching out to friends and family becomes a part of our self-care routine. Anything that will help us reduce our stress level and promote well-being is self-care.

Working from home is challenging, and with current limitations, it is even more so. The added stress of separating our days and maintaining motivation can be difficult. First of all, realize that you are not perfect and may not be at peak productivity every day. Find what works for you, and you will definitely find that motivation can be increased.