My husband and I have been working from home for a week now since Georgia seriously began practicing social distancing. The other morning, I was curious as I watched David put on a dress shirt and nice slacks.

I asked him where he was going and he said, “I have a video conference.”

“Well, why are you wearing dress pants? You could be wearing sweats for all they would know.”

“I feel more professional being fully dressed. Like I’m going to work.”

😊I admire his ability to know what he needs for motivation. With all this “stay at home time” we could get really sloppy and unmotivated…which is the gateway to depression.

As baseball season kicks off this week, we need to remember that all these professional sports teams are getting up and out there without fanfare or fans. Can you?

Here’s some tips to get or stay motivated even when we’re on our own from home.
1.  Wake up at a consistent time each morning.

2.  Make the bed.  This punctuates the start of the day and it’s nice to come back to a clean room at night.

3.  If you’re not feeling particularly chipper… do a celebration move. What do I mean by that?
When your favorite sports team makes a goal, a basket, or a home run… how do you react? What’s your stance? Do you jump up with a WHOOOP and punch the air? Do you yell… “YESSSSSS!” Do you start clapping and say under your breath, “Way to go!” What’s your celebration move? DO THAT. It’s hard to start the day glum when you pump the air with celebration. Have fun with it…this sets your mindset.

4.  Stretch. Walk. Workout. Whatever you do to move… MOVE. (Have you ever seen one of your pets wake up and not stretch or shake?) Animals naturally do this to transition.  Give yourself a shake and a stretch.

5.  Practice a few minutes of mindfulness.  This can even be done while you move.  Pray. Read an affirmation or devotion. Listen to peaceful music… something to ground yourself.

6.  Get dressed the way you would to have a powerful day.

7.  Make a list of what you’ll feel good about accomplishing by the end of the day.

8.  Take breaks as you move through your list.

9.  Laugh. Find something to laugh about – laughter boosts your immune system.

10.  Celebrate at the end of the day with what you could get done (no matter how small – all you parents of kiddos!) – and end with your POWER MOVE.

Stay motivated to keep a sense of personal mission!
You got this!

Comment with your personal motivation tips.