I wrote the vast majority of this piece last Tuesday. I'm still trying to find a rhythm to my writing practice and the cleaning and editing before publishing part. So, transport yourself back a week if needed.
Today felt almost normal. I got dressed and put on shoes. I placed a Starbucks order in the app before I left the house. I picked up said order on my way to work. Several of us in the office today even did a group order from ClusterTruck. The four of us that could fit in one conference room at appropriate social distance from one another even ate together. Like I said, almost like normal.
I was thinking about the idea of "getting back to normal" as I got home tonight and ran across this video from Jimmy Fallon.
I have to be completely honest that I don't necessarily want the pre-covid version of normal back. I also don't want in-covid normal. So, as we start to transition through this phase of the covid pandemic and dip our toes in the waters of "new normal" I ask you to pause and think about what you won't let back in and what you'll invite to stay?
Here are a few things that are on my list that I don't want to let back in my life. These are things that just don't seem legitimate to me now that I've worked from home and been in near quarantine for four months.
Going to the office five days a week. I love my work. I love my office mates. I love spending time with them. I enjoy getting together with people from around the state in person and I truly miss that. But to do my best work, I clearly don't have to be in the office five days a week. Nor do many of my coworkers. Some jobs will still require this and some people will have to be at a physical office to do their work. However, I'm not one of them and many people I work with are not one of them. I'm doing two days a week now. That feels okay. This means for all of us that adding audio and video conference options has to become a default behavior and that having the equipment and technology available to allow this has to be possible wherever we're meeting.
Staying at the office past five. I get told all the time that I work too much. My boss even says I work too much. Again, I love my work and I love my job so most of the time I don't mind. That said, I'd rather be in shorts and a t-shirt working on my patio in the evening than sitting at my desk (see also #1) so even though I'm only going in two days a week, I've been looking for times during the afternoon when I can easily transition from office to home. Even on office days, I'm home by 5:30 now.
Pandering on appearance. While we're on the subject of being more comfortable and productive in shorts and t-shirt, I'd like to pause here to address the uneven standard that is applied to women even in a remote environment. While men on our teams have "gone native", wear backwards hats to hide that they haven't been able to visit the barber in weeks, and are wearing t-shirts and flannel, women are still being judged. I and other female colleagues have been told that we should put more effort into our appearance even during the pandemic. Please don't misunderstand this one. There are times when professional dress is absolutely required. I also love to dress up, put on make up, do my hair, etc. However, women - it's time for us to fight back - especially against other women who tell us we're not measuring up and compare us to the men around us who aren't dressed any differently than we are, but instead simply aren't expected to live up to the same societal pressures about appearance that women are. (*stepping down from my soapbox now)
Travel for work. This one hasn't been tested yet, but it will be eventually. I traveled a LOT for work. I traveled in the state. I traveled out of state. Sometimes I love seeing new places, visiting colleagues, and all the joys that come with exploration. Sometimes it's a chore. I hope in whatever the post-covid world looks like we think about - both for ourselves as well as for the health of our planet - when travel is truly valuable and when it is simply a nice to have. Let's limit travel to the truly valuable.
So, what will I invite to stay in my post covid normal?
Exercise - While I've won no scale victories, I have made a new exercise routine. And, even on the days when I can't stick to the morning exercise routine, I do make it a priority to exercise. I may not be losing weight, but I'm also not gaining and my brain and soul just feel better.
Eating and drinking like I'm at home. For some people, cooking is a chore. For me, cooking is a joy. And while some nights I do have ice cream and popcorn for dinner, other days I have sausage gravy and biscuits - all from scratch - for breakfast. True, all of those foods listed are possible reasons I've not lost weight. However, when I'm home I also eat loads of fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm also drinking far more water - probably because I can get ice cubes easily so it's COLD water which is my favorite. I'm eating far less take out and far less processed foods. This is good for my body.
Daily video chats with family and friends - I "see" my parents nearly every day now. While I had a great routine of talking with my folks by phone every morning on my way to work, I enjoy physically seeing them via Facebook Messenger each evening so much more. Likewise, Gayle and I "see" each other every day. It's a part of both of our work shutdown routines to transition from the work day to some personal time.
There are still a few things I've not figured out yet that I still want to examine:
How to listen to podcasts and audio books - If I'm not driving, I'm not listening. I'm not alone here. How are you listening to audio content like podcasts and audio books?
Truly shutting down at the end of the day/week: Like many people, I've let the boundaries between work time and non-work time become more porous. I wasn't particularly good at this even before covid so maybe this is one that won't change for me. I still feel like it should though so I welcome suggestions.
Managing tasks and time: This is my canary in a coal mine. When I'm stressed, I try new ways to manage my tasks and my time (i.e. my productivity). I've tried every to do list software, every notebook, every calendar, every planner. Nothing helps me say no better, make more sense of the tasks and inputs or focus. And, in times of stress, I'm usually juggling three or four different systems because I think a different system will make it better. I've become an expert on productivity tools because I struggle so much with productivity. I think my best bet is probably analog paper and pen that I then archive at the end of each day. I've never yet been able to stick with that routine.
What would you add or remove from my list? What would your list look like? Have thoughts on any of my items? Share in the comments. Take the time now before you realize the gift of this time has passed to acknowledge what you need to reset.
A quote and a note
I’ve always been a collector of quotes. I want to share them. I’ll add a brief note to each one.
"The surest thing I took away from my BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. in social work is this: Connection is why we’re here." - Brene Brown in Daring Greatly
First, I love (and I truly mean love - there is not a drop of sarcasm in this) when someone can boil down all they learned in formal college education to a simple statement or phrase. I think we all can if we try. For me, it would probably be something like, "I learned how to learn."
Beyond this, I love the idea that "Connection is why we're here." The most meaningful moments in my life have occurred when I'm in connection or relation with another person. As we continue to walk through this pandemic which makes physical connection so much harder, how are you remaining connected to those you love?
A tool and a tip
I love technology. Lately though I’ve been thinking about how I need to make sure that my technology defaults are things that actually make my life better and easier. I’ll use this section to share a tool and a tip with you.
Hemingway
One of my favorite writing tools is a website called Hemingway. The free version of the Hemingway app allows you to copy and paste your text on the web site. The web site analyzes your writing and encourages you to simplify your writing. It highlights complex sentences along with some grammar issues. The most important element to me is highlighting passive voice. Passive voice has always been one of my biggest writing faux pas. Hemingway is a good editing tool for any writing project. There is also a $19 cost if you want to download the desktop version. I've only used the free web app for about six months. I find it incredibly useful and may invest the $19 at some point simply to give back to a web site that has helped me.
Create Multiple Google Profiles
I have a work Google account and a personal Google account. I want to be able to access both easily throughout the day. To do so, I've created separate Google profiles in the Chrome browser. As a result I can have two instance of Chrome open all day long - one that is my personal account and one that is my work account. You can learn how to do this here.
What bugs you that you’d like a tech tip on? I love making technology work better for people.
What I’m reading and learning
I am an Enneagram 5 with a top Clifton Strengths Finder strength of “Learner”. Learning is just a part of who I am. A lot of my learning is from reading. I’ll share books and other things I’m learning here.
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
I finished Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism in just two days. For those that know me well, you may find it interesting that I believe, over time, I too can be a digital minimalist. This is because Newport's definition is based on the development of a personal philosophy of technology use. The development of a personal philosophy is an idea I'm deeply drawn to. I may even write a first pass at my personal philosophy of technology use and publish it here at some point. This idea of defining where my personal beliefs currently sit is valuable to me as I like to see how my beliefs change over time as I grow and as the world changes.
Reading Digital Minimalism immediately following Knapp and Zeratsky's Make Time was also a good pairing. I continue to think about the idea of Infinity Pools from Make Time. Infinity pools are the endless streams of content like Netflix, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. that you can lose yourself in. An oversimplification of Digital Minimalism says you set some parameters around when, why and for how long you will use infinity pools.
Another element of Digital Minimalism I truly appreciated is the discussion of the utility of online tools contrasted with the challenges that the tools present. I think that the treatment of the challenges is honest and valid while not discounting the utility of online tools. Newport receives criticism for his overall lack of a digital footprint. However, I think his treatment was accurate.
Overall I enjoyed Digital Minimalism, but I want to circle back to the fact it took me just two days to read it. Granted, one of those days was a Sunday so I had some free time to read - one of my favorite treats. However, I also skimmed big sections of the book as I feel like parts of it were redundant. The book is well written, but parts of it could have been much shorter.
What are you enjoying reading at the moment? Share in the comments what has helped you navigate the pandemic.
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First of all, I love this post so much.
Second, here are a few ways I’m adjusting.
Listening to podcasts/audiobooks: I do this while cleaning and/or cooking.
Truly shutting down: I try to keep my work space separate from my living/sleeping space. This can be tricky though. My husband works out of the bedroom and that’s hard for him when he wants to go to bed. He just sees his work setup staring at him…
Managing tasks and time: I have to set an alarm for myself to stop. Sometimes my alarm says “get up and walk for 5 minutes” or “eat”. I try my hardest not to check my work email after 5. But I must admit I’m really bad about ignoring all of this advice. So short of someone taking my access away and forcing me, I’m still going to do my think. I’m a worker bee too so I get it.
Good luck!