In a COVID-world, I have found myself more productive than ever before, taking dozens of calls a day, sending countless emails, and of course, more Zooms than I ever thought I could do in a lifetime. If you asked me six months ago how many video conference calls I’ve been on, I could probably count them on my fingers. Now, a quiet video-conferencing day could be 10 or more in our new normal.
I’m finding myself now with a lack of alone time, with no commute to work or to meetings, and a lack of travel has given a lot less time for myself.
Being in the media business certainly requires a lot of bi-coastal and international travel. I used to really enjoy traveling because those were the moments I could really concentrate on strategy and vision along with reflections. I’m finding myself now with a lack of alone time, with no commute to work or to meetings, and a lack of travel has given a lot less time for myself. I have certainly appreciated aspects of the slowdown in our society, but I have only filled that extra time with more video conferences and work. There is also lines being blurred of when the work day starts and finishes. There is really no “turning off” when your office is your home. Does being more productive mean being accessible all hours of the day and night?
So right now, I’m finding the best use of my time has been the 10-15 minutes I spend in the shower. I don’t necessarily mean that literally, as I’ve also taken more walks, car cruises, and bike rides than ever before. In some ways, it’s been absolute madness managing the day to day, but other times it’s felt like time has stood still.
Mental health has truly been a test for all of us during this time. We have never been more alone with our thoughts, yet at the same time feeling we’re not alone at all. So the best way I’ve been getting through my day to day is by finding and carving out moments to stop the minutiae of continuous work. I’m sure we have all developed our own routines as we try to get through this historic moment in time.
