Keeping the momentum going for anything can be quite tough, especially if there are one hundred and one things going on in your life. As a recruitment agency, we want to help you navigate through the trials and tribulations of the workplace and encourage you to keep going through the tough times of office life.
So how can we keep the momentum of productivity and positivity while we’re experiencing the unique challenges that COVID-19 have faced us with?
The answer comes in all forms; our approach to it is addressing the individuality of workers. Working from home for each of us have different meanings and various pros and cons.
For example, if you have kids, working from home might be difficult and therefore cause you to be less productive. Whilst others may favour the peace and quiet of their own home than the buzz of the office. We all have our own working style and therefore have different ways of keeping us going and motivated.
Our advice when it comes to trying to keep your work momentum going is to look at the small details. If you’re struggling to concentrate, think about what it is that is distracting you? Is your space appropriate for your work? Should you consider relocating to another part of your home?
For some the peace and quiet can be quite distracting in itself, are you the type of person who prefers to have background noise? If so, turn on the radio, play some music or even turn on the tv to the news or some kind of show/movie you’ve watched a thousand times – that way you won’t be tempted to watch and it will serve as noise without being too distracting.
Setting yourself boundaries is very important when living with other people, it can be hard to focus your efforts on work. Make rules as to when you can or can’t take a break, keep personal tasks to the end of your workday, that includes not completing personal chores in between working. If you live with others, make it clear that you are not to be disturbed during certain times.
Some of us can be quite indulgent, and this means that bribing yourself can work a treat. Complete a task? Give yourself a treat. Now the trick is not to overindulge, let yourself celebrate your win by allowing yourself one treat, this can be some personal internet time, five-minutes of texting or even just a quick breather to recoup. At the same time however, limit yourself to what you consider wins, try to allocate those to more significant tasks that take longer to complete.
Remember that your work isn’t a punishment, and you’re not a naughty kid who is trying to complete your homework. You do actually enjoy your job (or at least we hope you do – if not…consider giving us a call – #shamelessplug) the satisfaction of completing tasks is great, so use that high to spur you on to the next one and the next one until you’re finished for the day.
One last thing that has worked for so many of us is keeping a schedule or to-do list of our expectation for the day. Keeping up with your priorities and deadlines means you can visualise how you need to work throughout the day.
Keeping the momentum going during tough times can make a difference to your outlook of the workday and personal time. While it may be difficult to always try to foster positivity, it’s crucial you allow yourself the time to relax and mentally unwind too.
Looking holistically at what makes people strive for a better day, there’s this idea that if we work hard, we can reward ourselves with the joyous time to do what we enjoy during our downtimes. So with that, we encourage you to find your own ways to keep yourself going through this time.
Let work be your good distraction, while your personal time is for when you want to mentally unwind. Remember that if you’re having a particularly stressful day, finding yourself unable to concentrate, then try to reset, give yourself a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself and remember, a bad day only lasts 24 hours, and every morning is a chance to start fresh.
What are your tips for keeping the work momentum going during these difficult times? It would be great for our community to get together and share their secrets for a positive working environment.
ABL Recruitment Team
