Tess Abraham (Reynolds) works remotely as a member of the assurance staff at Moss Adams, a top-10 public accounting firm. She graduated from The Master’s University in 2021 with a business degree in accounting and finance, and we recently asked her for a few tips on how to work from home with excellence.
If I wake up right before work, spend all day at my desk, then go to bed, I burn out quickly. I recommend waking up early to do activities you enjoy before the workday begins, which provides motivation to focus on your job during work hours. Personally, I rise early enough to read my Bible and pray, then my husband and I go to the gym together. This simple morning routine starts my day with something other than the stresses of my job.
It is easy to get distracted with non-work activities, like catching up on that overdue load of laundry. It is crucial to set time parameters wherein you commit to focusing on your work, and then build in times for breaks where you can do tasks outside of work. Find how you focus best — for me it is while listening to a podcast — and then lock in during your set work hours.
Because working from home can create an atmosphere of isolation, it is vital that you build your community outside of work. My husband and I are deeply involved in our local church, and we regularly meet up with families from church throughout the week, as well as attend Bible studies and individual discipleship groups. This community grounds us in our priorities and points us back to Christ. Let working from home be a tool that you can use to be more involved in the church and in the lives of fellow believers than you could otherwise.
