Level Up: Working From Home Effectively
Firstly, how are you?
Secondly, this is our first blog post of 2020! Clearly a tangible result of the current global lockdown…
Thirdly, thank you to all who joined our very first Instagram live in over a year. We promise to go live more often!
Amidst all the happens in the world right now, we at Adiah Talks are bent on encouraging you and helping you see things from the right perspective. It is important at a time like this that you do not get bogged down with news headlines, statistics, numerous conspiracy theories and fall for that thing called fear. Be rest assured that none of this caught God by surprise and there is really nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
It is however important that in this time, we seek God, listen out for what He is saying and obey His instructions. Times like these tend to instil fear in people and that is a natural reaction as uncertainty puts people on edge but if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, that should not be your narrative or posture. We are to be led by faith and not fear, for those who are led by God are the sons of God.
With all that being said, I can assure you that we will get through this. Some adjustments may be necessary but we have the wisdom to navigate this as needed.
One of the most common changes people have had to quickly make in this time is working from home, commonly abbreviated as “wfh”. Whether you are an entrepreneur who already works from home or an employee who has never done this, the added movement restrictions can no doubt seem to add a level of complexity which may understandably be overwhelming for some.
Additionally, there is a psychological element to this. Under normal circumstances, one may have already been working from home for 10 straight days without stepping out for whatever reason but the minute it is made mandatory with somewhat enforced restrictions, our natural human inclination is to want to go against the grain, at least in our minds. It is natural, we just want to be free but I encourage you to obey the law of the land you dwell in, it is biblical.
To assist you on this journey, here are some practical tips to help you adjust to working from home.
Put God first and stay positive – mindset is where it all begins. If you don’t have the right mindset, nothing else you do will be effective. Get right with what God says about you and understand who you are. Our identity is the foundation of the right mindset. A practical way to do this is to spend time in the Word of God; reading, studying and meditating on it.
Guard your time – ensure you own your time and don’t allow your workload to dictate this. A simple trick is having a general start and finish time for each day. This will not only help you adjust psychologically, it will also train others you are working with remotely to understand your availability. For effective time management, ‘time stacking’ is also another good method you can adopt and you can find out more here.
Create a good workspace – a comfortable set-up goes a long way so invest in this as much as you can. Also ensure you have enough natural light and ventilation as this will also contribute to your overall wellbeing.
Create a balanced schedule – do this by breaking up your daily tasks. Also, take regular breaks and to avoid things feeling mundane and consider switching up your schedule regularly. For example, on one day, do a certain daily task in the morning and then the following day, do it in the afternoon or evening if possible.
Have a support system/community – find a community or support group to key into. It could be colleague’s, a group of friends or industry partners. If you don’t feel like you have one within your reach or that you are interested in joining, then perhaps it is time you created one. Be the solution to the problem! You will be surprised how rewarding building a community would be. In this time, people are more open to speaking to others and sharing problems so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Invest in yourself – this is the time to do that course you have always wanted to do, read or even write that book you have been thinking about, start that podcast. There are so many free and discounted courses across a number of industries which are now available so do your research, find what is right for you and make the time and money investment (if needed). Paying for a course is actually good as it makes you value it better.
Stay connected to your team – find creative ways of staying connected to your team either on a one to one basis or group calls. Consider leveraging tools such as Zoom, Skype, GoTo Meeting and others that have video functionality as well. Ensure interactions are not solely worked related, check in with people to see how they are doing and share some tips if you can.
Prepare for what you prayed for – There are many things Christians are guilty of and this is right up there with them. We can pray, declare and some times even beg God but we often fail to prepare and move in faith, so much so that the book of James tells us that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). This is the time to start taking steps towards building that business God laid on your heart or start making room in your home for the family you desire.
Lastly, I will like to encourage you to not loose sight of what the Lord has said to you concerning for 2020, the year is not cancelled. All is well child of God, understand who you are.
Stay covered,
Mo
