This pandemic sucks. Finding motivation may have already sucked anyway, but now it really sucks.
Below, you can find some specific tips that might help.
This page in a nutshell:
Distractions come in two forms: ones that have an end ("type 1") and ones that don't ("type 2").
Knowing whether to allow yourself a type 1 or type 2 distraction can help you serve your work needs and your play needs. (Yes, you have play "needs" too.)
A countdown timer that makes noise can help you establish focus.
This page in depth:
Let's be honest: you know when you're doing work, and when you're not. If you're not, you're giving yourself a reward. Sometimes you feel like you've earned the reward; sometimes you don't. If you want to increase the frequency of earning it, and thereby your productivity, try this:
There are two categories of rewards.
Type 1 rewards are any behavior that you want to do that DOES have a definitive, specific end. Once it's over, that's it—there's no more. Examples might include:
going to the bathroom
going for a walk (you have to come home at some point)
eating a snack or a meal
watching a sunset
catching up with a friend, with a clearly expressed time limit
Type 2 rewards, on the other hand, are any behavior that you want to do that does NOT have a specific end to it. In other words, it's an activity that you choose without much (if any) regard for how long it'll really take. Or, if you decide you're only going to do it for like, an hour, it can end up lasting two or three times that long—or more. Typically, these are amusing activities, but they can also be chores. Examples are usually easier to come up with than type 1 rewards. They might include:
video games
watching or streaming TV, like Netflix or YouTube
looking things up on Wikipedia
using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, or Discord
cleaning your kitchen… and then your bathroom, and your bedroom, and...
reading
crafting (e.g., painting, crocheting or knitting, sewing)
catching up with a friend, without an expressed time limit
(You might argue that a YouTube video, for example, might fall into the type 1 category because it has a finite end point. And you wouldn't be wrong—if we were talking about just that one video on its own. But, as you probably know, the YouTube experience doesn't really have an end because the site is constantly showing you more things to watch.)
Obviously, some activities can straddle the line. A type 2 activity for one person may be a type 1 for another. Generally speaking, however, type 2 rewards are more immersive and type 1 rewards are less immersive. You have to make the best decision for you about what that means—and it may mean some trial and error.
So, now that we have these two types of non-work time, what do we do with them?
Sequestering Break or Play Time
We take them as "hostages!" You might be feeling like a hostage yourself right now, so it's time to take some of your own. And this story has a happy ending―all of the hostages must be, and will be, released.
(If you don't like the word "hostage," that's okay. Pick the word that works best for you―"collateral," for example, might be a good alternative.)
If you're faced with a boring, uncomfortable, unattractive task, take a hostage. Make a deal with yourself that when you complete the boring task―or any portion of it―you'll release the hostage.
But which type is best? If you're trying to get started, or to maintain some momentum, type 1 (short breaks) are best.
For example, let's say that you need to read a chapter of a textbook. And this chapter is pretty dense, so the thought of having to read it makes your stomach turn. Maybe you're faced with thoughts like, I can't do this. Or, I have to do this whole thing.
So you say to yourself, "I'll just jump on Facebook or YouTube, but only for a few minutes." But it won't be a few minutes. And you know it. This is probably the most critical moment in this process.
Before you reach for that phone, quick!―make a deal with yourself. If you read a portion of the chapter, even if it's just one page―or even a paragraph!―you'll let yourself go to the bathroom (a type 1 reward). Don't let yourself go until you've read the page. You can do it. Anything is better than nothing.
When you hold up your end of the deal and read that one page, count it as a win and give yourself the reward. Then, next time, see how far you can stretch yourself. One more paragraph, or one more page? What about two?
Type 2 rewards, or more immersive activities, work best when:
you've finished a task and have a gap between now and a scheduled activity that almost always involves someone else (e.g., a meeting or an appointment)
you're done with work for the day
Flip Your Thinking On Its Head
Type 2 rewards can be your proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. In using this system, you might be able to shift your mental association: type 2 rewards might feel less like instant gratification. Instead, they might feel more valuable and sustainable.
In that way, the reward’s purpose can fundamentally change. Instead of using it as a way to avoid doing work (i.e., escaping suffering), you can use work as a way to move toward the reward (i.e., pursuing something you value).*
Budgeting Time… For Fun!
Seeing these two types of rewards in this way can help you plan for both work and play time. Do you want one glorious day this week when all you do is play video games? You can have it! You'll probably need to hustle the other days of the week, but if you designate time on your schedule for play―just like you would for work time―you've got a better chance of enjoying yourself with much less guilt (if any at all).
An Important Piece: The Timer
So you've taken a hostage or two, but you're still having trouble getting started. Set a countdown timer. Any timer that will make noise works. Set it for as short of a time as possible, and take it as a challenge. Can you write a couple paragraphs for that paper in 5 minutes? What about that page in the textbook―could you polish it off in two minutes? That challenge could be the zap that you need to get moving.
Get To It
Remember: anything is better than nothing. I’d wish you luck, but it’s not about luck. You can do this!
FOOTNOTE
*The idea of moving toward a value instead of merely escaping suffering comes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which was developed by Dr. Steven Hayes. If you’ve worked with me before, the language may sound familiar!