4 Lessons Learned From Working Remotely

I cannot believe that it has officially been one year since I (and the rest of the world) have started working from home. I remember it like it was yesterday and we thought this was a two week thing. Boy, were we wrong. Little did we know that the pandemic would turn out the way it did and remote work life became the new normal for the next 12 months.

I thought it would be a great time to look back at the year, revisit the few things I learned when I started working from home here – and see if there are more lessons to add on. So much has happened in this window of time with work, the blog and my personal life that it will be a year to remember.

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Work/Life Balance Is a MUST //

It takes work to maintain what the corporate world calls work/life balance. It is very easy to get sucked into emails very early in the AM and work late now that there is no commute tacked on the end of the day. This is your reminder to set boundaries. Let me say it again for the people in the back “SET BOUNDARIES on when you are working and when to walk away.

What worked for me was hopping offline to start dinner or setting an alarm so that I had a hard stop from the screen. I also use the extra time in the morning to take care of the new puppy, put makeup on, and just sit still with my chai tea latte and some morning tv. That quiet time has been so valuable for setting me up for the day in the right mindset.

Video Fatigue is fo’ realz…. //

Virtual parties, meetings and webinar style presentations were great at the beginning when they are scarce – but as each day goes on, I have more meetings than I have time in the day.

At this point, I find myself trying to block out no meeting blocks, schedule less meetings and convert everything away from calls. By the end of the week I am fully burnt out. So here are a few things I do to help combat zoom fatigue:

Turn off your camera. I’ve had to do this more often because of the sporadic nature of Nyah (the pup) but it has been a welcomed change. If your company culture is cool with it – do it.

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Switch to emails, chats, or phone calls. Our team uses slack so that has been a great way to continue discussions without being on video. Emails are great for managing conversations that do not require immediate action for large groups of people.

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Take Breaks. No matter how small a window of time, I have been loving my app, Calm. It give options for a few minutes of meditation so you can close your eyes and just breathe.

No Commute + More Time = More Blog //

I loved when I was commuting to work because it helped me transition into the office headspace. Now that I have more time on my hands, I am happy to say that I have given it to myself in order to revive the blog. (Which I hope you have found enjoyable to read!)

Use that extra time to give into your passions and creative thoughts. Embrace things that will make you happy and try not to stress over things that wear you down. Even though the last few weeks have been tough adjusting again to puppy sleep schedules – I’m full more of more ideas than ever before.

Invest in You //

When it comes to my professional arena, I am a person that always needs to continue learning and to be challenged. I recently joined the American Marketing Association and started attending webinars and classes to keep the mind sharp. I also want to start looking into MBA programs and considering taking that next step in higher education

For the blog, we just bought a new lens and I am super pumped! Im ready to snap some new photos in this beautiful weather we have been getting. #levelup When it was really cold out not that long ago, the mister and I shot this in our stairwell to learn how to play with indoor lighting! Super fun together but we miss the outdoors. Bring it on Spring!

Moral of the Story //

Be vulnerable. Be passionate. Be Silly. Be Sassy. Be whatever and whoever you want to be. There is no one standing in your way but your mindset.