Sharing a few nuggets of wisdom from our Lead Researcher, Megan Lawrence, as many people transition to working from home…
For the last eight years, I have worked from home—first as a freelance editor and now as the lead researcher for NL Moore & Associates. I love the work I get to do for our church staffing and consulting group, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work remotely. As a virtual team, NL Moore has met the challenges associated with working from home for years. As we serve pastors and churches at every stage of the pastor search process, the COVID-19 crisis gives us another way to help—by sharing with you some of what we have learned.
We hope you find these five tips for working from home helpful!
- Get dressed! While it can be tempting to stay in your pajamas, there is something motivating about being dressed. It helps you feel more professional and ready for the day.
- Maintain your morning routine. Sure, you have an extra 30 minutes since you are no longer commuting. Feel free to sleep in a bit longer, to spend more time in prayer, or slow down and enjoy breakfast with your family. But in the long run, it helps to maintain your normal routine. The ritualistic nature of your normal morning routine can “induce calm and manage stress caused by unpredictability and uncontrollability.”[i] Keeping a routine helps your brain feel more at ease, and it actually will make going back to your workplace easier.
- Create physical boundaries for your workspace. This one may be tricky if your only workspace option is the kitchen table. You may have to create a wall of books or boxes around your end of the kitchen table or put up a card table in your bedroom. When possible, choose a space where you can close the door, and make it clear to your family that your work area is off limits. A clearly defined space will help you as you strive to keep work life and home life separate. Which leads me to the fourth tip:
- Create clear mental boundaries. When working from home, distractions abound! It can be tempting to try to do household chores during regular working hours. If you’re at the office, you don’t see the dishes left in the sink or think about popping in a load of laundry. Likewise, when you are at home, you don’t (or shouldn’t) feel obligated to answer work emails. But when work is happening at home, it can be easy to blur the lines and let the two normally distinct areas bleed into one another. If you try to take care of work AND home responsibilities during the same hours, neither one is done well, and your stress level rises. In the book Boundaries, Henry Cloud and John Townsend assert, “Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom.”[ii] Yes, you have responsibilities at work and at home, but you will find more freedom as you take responsibility for one sphere of life at a time. Set designated work hours and respect them. At the end of the day, truly go home.
- Communicate with intention. On a typical workday, how many times do you pop into a co-worker’s space to ask a question, talk through a problem, or pass along something you’ve discovered? When you lose informal connection time with your team, intentional communication becomes even more important. Instead of sending an email, arrange a video chat. Establish times throughout the week for team phone or video calls. As you work, keep a running list of the questions, topics, or discoveries you are making so you can keep your team appraised of what you are doing. As needed, send an email with the key points to your coworkers. Since you aren’t working alongside one another physically, working together will take intentionality. Communication is the key to success!
As your team settles into a temporary normal, know that the NL Moore & Associates team is praying for you! The Lord has promised to advance His kingdom, even when His followers feel confined and separated. As Daniel saw in his vision: “He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14) May God’s sovereign peace reign in your life in the coming weeks.
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[i] Eilam, David. Tel Aviv University. https://www.aftau.org/news-page-psychology–psychiatry?&storyid4706=1480&ncs4706=3
[ii] Cloud, H. and Townsend, J. (1992). Boundaries. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 31.