I am excited to connect with you and to offer tools and inspiration for staying productive and positive during these uncertain times.
For some good news, we are finding that law firms are still hiring business professionals! Last week we received six new jobs! In addition, most interviews that were in play continued via Zoom and three new placements have been onboarded remotely this week.
I truly believe that in the midst of all the challenges the coronavirus has bought into our lives, there are still good things happening – we need to focus on them! What good news do you have to share today? If you are feeling well, then that’s an awesome one to start with!
I also wanted to share some tools from our Wisnik Well-Being Program to help you stay productive when working from home. For many of us, a major challenge is no longer having a “normal” routine. Here are some tips for creating rituals to make each day productive:
- Develop a morning ritual. Before you turn on your computer to start your at-home workday, have a ritual to set your mind up for a successful day ahead. Our brains are wired to keep us safe. Today that is a real challenge because we are bombarded by messages everywhere that tell us we are in danger of getting the virus! When our minds are triggered by fear, we don’t have the bandwidth to be creative or to problem solve. This is why it’s imperative that we begin each day by taking control of our minds. I write out all the good stuff in my life and all that I’m grateful for as part of my morning ritual. I’ve found it helps me to be more productive for the rest of the day. Two of the questions I write out each morning are:
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- How will I find a silver lining today?
- What am I most grateful for today?
In addition, I ask myself:
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- Who will I send love and positive energy to today?
At least two people pop into my mind each morning. I send them a text or email letting them know that I am thinking of them and wish them a good day. These days, I also ask if we can speak to stay connected. Focusing on other people works because it actually makes us feel better. How do you feel when you give someone a great gift?
- Build in a midday ritual. Do something in the middle of your day to recharge. I alternate between taking an online exercise class or walking the dog in the woods near our home. Moving my body and changing the scenery has really helped me to get more work done in the afternoon. There are many free or low-cost online classes. I signed up for Peleton’s free trial; they stream both live and taped classes (no bike required).
- Create an evening ritual An end-of-day ritual can help you transition from your workday. I was on the phone with a Chief Talent Officer last Friday who was working from her dining room table. She agreed that hearing beeps from new emails from 8am-10pm and feeling compelled to work all waking hours was not sustainable. Here are some tips for transitioning from a productive workday:
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- I use and highly recommend the sponge technique. I take an imaginary sponge and I wipe out all the bad things that happened that day, including any frustrating conversations, any news I heard that scared me or anything else that I really don’t want to take with me into the evening. I find the sponge technique helps me to reset after a day of work.
- Recall two things that went well today. If you had a great Zoom call or finally got to that project that has been on the back burner for months, that can go on your list. Keeping a list of all the things that went right and that we are grateful for us gives us much-needed perspective. This is something we need more than ever today!
A number of law firms have reached out because they are interested in offering the Wisnik Well-Being Program virtually to their employees. I am deeply passionate about your well-being and here to support you in any way I can. Stay well and please stay in touch!