Give yourself time

The last few months have been a whirlwind. And it seems fair to think that maybe this transitional period could go on a bit longer. That being the case, it becomes even more important for us to allow ourselves time with everything. Often, that’s easier said than done. But in my experience, moments we have the least amount of time are moments in which we need it the most.

Time is one of our least renewable resources, but luckily, there are lots of small things we can fairly easily do. Things that allow us the moment we need to just breathe.

Zoom Calls

At some point early in this midst of this pandemic, many of us decided that working from home will be a blessing. It will make it easier for us to balance life. It will be so much less strenuous than working from the office. Well, turns out the joke is on us!

One area where this rings true is with virtual meetings. At first, we thought these meetings would be easy—no driving or traffic, no need to be physically present. Well, not so much!

Now we manage background noise, new distractions, internet connection issues, the temptation to work on other things while on the call, how to maintain eye contract with a camera, making sure the lighting isn’t awful, and on and on. The fact is, these virtual meetings actually are a bit demanding—just in totally different ways than the former in-person meetings.

Before we realized this, it was tempting to be superhuman and just book ourselves up with back-to-back meetings. Thinking this would be a cakewalk.

The fix on this one is relatively simple and just takes a little discipline. Give yourself time in between each. Whether it’s to debrief and take care of action items, to update your task list, get prepped for the next call, or just to clear your mind. Give yourself the time to do these things. Maybe it’s no more than 15 minutes; sometimes that’s all it takes. And maybe first thing Monday morning is just not the best time to book meetings…even if they’re virtual.

Job Search

In uncertain times, the search can be unsettling. But with that said, there are still places hiring. And there are good jobs out there for the taking. If you need work and you’re able to start a search, now is actually not a bad moment. And there’s no rule that says you have to go all-in. Look around. See what’s there. Evaluate and apply. No one says you have to mass apply or completely immerse yourself. Take it slow. Apply when something looks good. And breathe.

The New Normal

We still don’t know what this looks like. Some of us are anxious to get the ball rolling. Others really want to hang back and aren’t feeling ready yet. That’s ok. This is something that will be different for everyone. Each will have their own pace and timing. If you need time, allow that for yourself.

By Adam Lafield, Recruiter & Marketing Specialist