Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, many of us who would have been working in offices during normal life are now working from home. Even during periods when there’s no lockdown, governments are realizing that the benefits of working from home – from the environment to mental health – are manifold. As such, expect to see home working become, if not the new norm, then certainly more popular in the months and years ahead.
Of course, while home working certainly has its share of benefits, that doesn’t necessarily make it exciting. You’re forgoing the usual socialization with your colleagues in favor of something decidedly more isolated and solitary. For that reason, it’s important to try and ensure that working from home remains exciting for you however possible. Don’t worry – we’re here to help on that score. Here’s how you can make your home working experience more exciting.
Get regular exercise
Exercise helps to boost your endorphin levels, so it’s a great way to keep yourself motivated during a particularly long working day. Make sure you’re parceling out regular breaks to take a walk or simply move around your house a little. You could also go for a run in the morning or follow along with an exercise video. However, you choose to do it, getting regular exercise is vital if you want to keep your energy levels up during the day. It might sound counterintuitive, but exercising actually gives you more energy in the long run.
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Play some games
If you’re able to, then scheduling some break time while you work in order to play some games has been proven to reduce stress and improve your mental health. It doesn’t have to be video games if you’re not into that scene; you could also check out an online casino like casimba.com for some real-money casino gaming. Blackjack, slots, and roulette are all excellent options for casino newcomers if you’re not au fait with the ins and outs of this world. There are also lots of board games available that can accommodate solo players if you’re working alone.
Decorate your office space
Nobody enjoys working in a drab environment. Just as if you were working in a communal space, it’s important to make sure that your office – wherever in your home that happens to be – offers a visually calming, focusing, and compelling experience. There are plenty of ways to do this. You could hang up some art, for example, or paint your space to make the color scheme a little more vibrant. Other options include displaying photographs, changing up your desktop wallpaper, or getting some eye-catching furniture to liven up space.
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Listen to music
If you’re working from home, listening to some instrumental music can really help to increase your productivity and make you a more focused worker. Do make sure that it’s instrumental music, though; lyrical or narrative music can make focusing on your work harder, which makes sense as your brain is trying to parse two different sets of words simultaneously. Whatever your personal taste is – whether it’s rock, metal, jazz, or classical – there are almost certain to be excellent instrumental options in those genres that can accompany your work.
Talk to your co-workers
Some people who work from home don’t have co-workers. If you’re lucky enough to work alongside others, make sure you’re taking the time each day to talk to them. The social isolation of working alone can be surprisingly demoralizing; even if you don’t realize it, you’re likely to be craving some sort of human contact, especially if you live alone. Pulling up a window on a chat app like Slack or Microsoft Teams and shooting the breeze with your coworkers (in a focused way, of course!) can be a massive boost to your emotional health and can make working from home much more exciting.
Set yourself challenges
If you’re moving through your day at a leisurely pace, then work can feel like it lacks urgency or purpose. Creating a sense of urgency about work is something bosses dream of, so if you’re acting as your own boss, it’s equally vital you do this for yourself. Try to set yourself miniature challenges throughout the day; accomplishing a certain amount of work by a certain time, for example, or getting through an assignment without being distracted. This can galvanize you into performing better and more consistently and will add a sense of momentum to your working day.
Create unforgettable meals
Creating interesting, exciting meals in the kitchen can really vary up your life and make you feel more fulfilled. It’s also an excellent conclusion to a long day working from home. Many meals can be made from inexpensive, easily available ingredients, and you’d be amazed at the sheer variety of food you can create with very little effort or time. If you’re accustomed to ordering takeout every time work starts to overwhelm you, try a beginner recipe or two instead. The process of cooking is relaxing, invigorating, and rewarding all at once.
Know when to stop
Simply setting a time at which you’re definitely going to stop working – and ensuring you stick to that time – can make you feel excited in and of itself. If you don’t have any endpoint to look forward to, then work can feel like it’s endlessly stretching out in front of you with no reward or goal. Each day – or even at the beginning of the working week – create yourself a timeline and stick to it. Tell yourself you’re definitely going to stop at a certain time and don’t allow yourself to break that rule. That way, you’ve got something to look forward to during the moments when work feels particularly hard.
These are our tips on how you can make working from home exciting. With the right adjustments to your lifestyle, it’s possible to create a welcoming, rewarding home office space that feels just as fun to work in as a regular office would. Did we miss anything? How have you made your home office space exciting?
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