How to Stay Motivated During Lockdown

 

It’s hard to stay motivated at the moment - when working from home, your work-life balance can quickly get out of skew, and many of us struggle to stay connected with our friends and colleagues in a way that feels meaningful or liberating.

This can lead to stress, low mood and a lack of drive. Here are a few tips on how to stay motivated in lockdown.

Focus on the positives

Try to enjoy being at home. Can you get out for some fresh air when you fancy it (maintaining social distancing, of course)? Why not order in lunch from your favourite neighbourhood takeaway occasionally?

B&M Top Tip: Make a list of positives to look back over occasionally. Do you like the freedom to wear your PJs all day? Hanging out with your pet? Not having your boss hovering over your shoulder? Saving money on your commute?

Keep in touch with family and friends

Lockdown can mess with your personal life. Try to stay in touch with your loved ones and find new ways to socialize. 

Why not hold your own weekly “pub quizzes” over Zoom or change up your social media interaction with little competitions or challenges?

B&M Top Tip: If you don’t have an account with a video conferencing app, now’s the time to get one! Basic membership is free on most platforms and you just need an email address and password.

Set goals to keep yourself motivated

A lack of routine can result in tasks piling up. If you’re furloughed, days merge together and it can feel like you haven’t achieved anything in a long time.

Try setting yourself deadlines - whether personal or professional - and giving yourself a certain amount of time per day to work towards them. Note down your targets in your diary to keep track.

B&M Top Tip: Touch base with friends or colleagues once a week to update them on what you’re doing and to hear from them about their projects - like a support group.

Start a hobby

There are plenty of ways to keep yourself occupied and feeling fulfilled.

Why not grab some art supplies and try something creative? Alternatively, to stay healthy and get some fresh air, you could take up running. You could even start learning a language!

B&M Top Tip: You and a few friends could all start something new together and share updates throughout the week.

Look after yourself

Your physical and mental health is equally important. If you feel exhausted all the time, it could be a result of low mood, poor nutrition or a lack of exercise.

Lockdown may mean you aren’t moving as much as usual - so try to get some form of exercise and eat well.

You should also find time to relax. Listening to music, reading a book or watching a movie can help you to escape for a while.

B&M Top Tip: Why not invest in an attractive new desk, a tech upgrade or new tools? This might help you feel a little more excited about work.

So, to stay motivated in lockdown, you could remind yourself of the positive aspects, socialise, set goals, take up a hobby or invest in some self-care!

B&M Top Tip: Pick up some bang on-trend office equipment at great prices from our Office Furniture section, or find the finishing touch to your home office in our dedicated Working From Home category

Do you have some advice on how to stay motivated in lockdown? Share it with the B&M Community via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!