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Work. Ugh. Even working for yourself or in a job you’re really passionate about, it can sometimes be hard to stay motivated.

Employment or running a business can sometimes feel like a continuous cycle of: Wake up – force self to eat breakfast even though mouth feels like it’s made of sand – drive to work – work – deal with own crap – deal with everyone else’s crap – tear self away from work even though there’s loads more to do and go home – eat food – pass out – repeat.

You love what you do but when it all gets too much our natural reaction is to want to do absolutely anything else and before you know it you’re demotivated.

So what are you going to do about this? Follow these tips is what you’re going to do!

We’re not here to give out meaningless phrases like “stay positive” because if it was that simple you wouldn’t be reading this. Also, it’s super annoying when people say that or “cheer up, things’ll get better”. We’re not going to tell you that you’re “a strong, successful, independent woman who doesn’t need to smoke” because we all know how that worked out for Chandler Bing.

Get away from it all

Listen to your body! You’re demotivated because it needs a change. Your brain is telling you to do something else so go do it! That might not be practical during work hours but force yourself to leave on time and go do something fun or relaxing (ideally both). We’ve already established that there’s always more to do so what is an extra hour of leisure time spent at work really going to achieve when you’re working at half-speed?

Catch a movie, read a book, hit the beach, get fit, whatever. Do something enjoyable. A well-rested body and mind will be better equipped for a day at work and you’ll be able to accomplish more which will naturally motivate you.

Tidy up

Random tip but stick with us. The old idiom that a tidy desk equals a tidy mind rings true for some people but we’re not saying a messy desk is why you have a lack of motivation. In fact, some studies suggest that a little disorder is good for creativity.

This suggestion is all about achievement. Often we feel unmotivated when we’re not achieving. That could be something as simple as not ticking enough things off the to-do list or having a demanding project with no end in sight. Something as simple as getting your desk organised or polishing the kitchen taps if you work from home can be a great motivator.

It’s a simple task that requires little brainpower (so it gives us a change to power down and recharge) and you get results that you can actually see. It’s a small achievement but it tricks your brain into releasing endorphins and dopamine which will help pump you up for the next task. (Going for a run can also do the same thing so if you hate cleaning get exercising!)

90/20 the hell out of yourself

You’re probably working way too hard/much and this is affecting your productivity which then affects your motivation. Sleep studies have discovered something called the ultradian rhythm which is essentially the cycle of activity our brains go through in REM sleep. Scientists have found this 90 minute cycle of brain activity is relevant to our conscious selves too. The finding was that our brains function best in 90 minutes bursts.

The take away from this is we should all be working for 90 minutes and then resting for 20 minutes to be at our most productive. Productivity and motivation go hand in hand. If you feel like you’re pushing an elephant up the stairs (see what we did there?) and hardly getting anywhere you’ll be less motivated.

Reward yourself!

When you set yourself tasks assign rewards to them. Report finished by 5pm? Steak for dinner. Presentation complete? Ice cream in the park. Database updated? Movie night.

It doesn’t have to be big but it has to be meaningful. A bite of chocolate for 3 hours of hard graft isn’t much to get excited about but treating yourself to a new book or putting $10 towards an expensive piece of clothing you really want but can’t justify buying for no reason? That’s something to aim for.

Set yourself achievable tasks and learn to better recognise when you need a break (and actually take it). Practical tips aside, those two things will help get you back to your best, most motivated self.

How do you go with motivation? Got any tips to add to this list?

Image source Shutterstock.

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  • years ago my husband and I ran a business from home. I worked from the Dining table because thats the only space we had. There was no study or other area for me to work. It was fine though. I worked when my kids were at school or down for a sleep.

    Reply

  • I read it, I agree with it, think it’s got some good tips. But putting them into practice is the hard part

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  • I really like these tips, thank you.

    Reply

  • I’ve learnt over the years of discipline and motivation to work from my home office. You have to as people rely on you. It works to have breaks, and to mix it up. I work 3 days a week, and I find that a great fit for work/home/life/me time balance.

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  • Great tips for all of us to employ, not just small business people.

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  • Pm fantastic tips, I will to write lists and have the satisfaction of ticking things off. I always make sure my lists have some really simple tasks on them so I get almost immediate satisfaction at starting to see ticks.

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  • I don’t struggle really to motivate myself, I like to get on the things that need to be done, get them out of the way and relax for a bit. So yes, rewarding yourself is definitely important ! Even to sit down for a bit and read some articles on Mouths of Mums I see as a form of reward.

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  • I had no idea about the 90/20 tip – thanks for sharing.

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  • I plan each day and write lists and tick items off my lists – it is the only way to keep motivation going. I reward myself for getting jobs done and achieving goals.

    Reply

  • All great tips to get self-motivated especially the ‘reward yourself’ tip!

    Reply

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