Many of us have been working from home over the past few months during the Covid-19 self isolation. I’m sure I am not the only one who can say that at the start, this seemed heavenly, getting payed to sit in your dressing gown all day, take unlimited coffee breaks and watch day time TV with a packed of digestives, what most of us have dreamed of when sitting in an office watching the clock waiting for 5pm to strike.
That being said, after a repetitive and boring 3+ months of spending what feels like all day every day working and not being able to switch off or have any social interaction with peers, I’m sure we are all somewhat excited to return to normality again.
When dealing with the social stresses and mental challenges that a lot of us are facing right now when working from home, it is important to keep a steady routine and incorporate your fashion in to your work life balance in order to stay motivated and productive. This means, where possible, making sure that you are getting dressed when you are working (and not just your top half for 20 minutes while you have a Zoom meeting).
What You Can Do To Start Feeling Motivated With A Fresh Mind And Attitude
Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours. It is what causes you to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behaviour.
Why are we so good at thinking of what to do but so terrible at actually doing those things? The answer is simple, you need to think to plan but feel to act. In order to feel the drive of motivation when working from home, it is important to set yourself up for the day by dressing like you would for work. That way you will feel a completely different attitude towards the working hours of the day and have a clearer and familiar mind set when completing tasks and ensuring that you have an established work life balance.
That is not to say that you shouldn’t dress how you feel, during times like these it is completely normal to have ‘down days’, I know I have had my fair share. On those days you don’t want to get out of your pyjamas until 4pm and that is completely fine. Motivation comes in waves, when you are feeling like you have reached a brick wall, try and get back in to your routine of getting dressed for work and changing when you are finished. This will create a routine and give you the separation that you need from work and being at home and not feeling guilty about having down time.
4 ways you can improve motivation and mental health when working from home:
Getting dressed for work and changing after your shift – this will establish the difference between working and relaxing
Wearing the same clothes you would wear for work – don’t be afraid to start wearing these clothes again, the perception of how we view our body can change when we are wearing joggers and large hoodies all the time. Dressing for work will make you feel good and feel driven to succeed.
Wear accessories – putting on a pair of earrings or a nice headband can tie together your look and make you feel so much better about yourself, this will improve your self awareness and motivation when working from home.
Dress how you feel – never feel like you have to dress for work every day when your at home, it is important to know when you are having a down day and have 1 million things on your mind, it can definitely help, but never feel the pressure to do it. Keep a routine and try different looks and trends that make you feel good, this will definitely improve your state of mind and drive you to work better when establishing your work life balance using fashion.
Improving your state of mind and motivation through what you wear when you work from home
In order to motivate yourself and improve your mental health during hard times like this, it is important to dress how you feel, while keeping a routine as close to your ‘normal’ working life as possible. Ensure that you are looking after your mind and not being afraid to try out new things during lockdown.
If you are experiencing these issues and are struggling to move pas that brick wall, please communicate with your loved ones and your work colleagues. Chances are you are not the only one in your circle feeling like this, and we can all get through this together by staying driven and as mentally healthy as possible when working from home.