“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”
– Alphonse Karr in A Tour Round My Garden
Wellness Tip:
Hug It Out
Not that you needed someone in a lab coat to tell you hugs are good, but here it is: science shows that hugs can relieve stress, boost your immune system, lower blood pressure, and ease depression.
Now, we know what you’re thinking – BUT… SOCIAL DISTANCING!
We get it. A pandemic is not the time to start throwing your arms around every random stranger or acquaintance. Distanced greetings are still best.
But even in non-pandemic times, we often forget the value of warm embraces with family and regular cuddles with our partners. And those are important. Especially in times when we need strong immunity and feelings of connection with others.
So here’s your reminder: embrace hugs (pun intended). Throw your arms around your partner, kids, or whoever it is that you’re in close proximity with daily. You’ll all feel better for it.
Productivity Tip:
Avoid Zoom Fatigue
While we’re on the topic of #PandemicLife, let’s talk about Zoom fatigue. It’s real.
Research from Stanford University found four main reasons why it happens:
- The amount of intense, prolonged eye-contact
- The cognitive load of having to interpret and send non-verbal cues online
- The increased “self-evaluation” from seeing ourselves on screen
- All that sitting still
So what can you do to make video calls less taxing? Try:
- Sitting further away from the screen
- Hiding self-view so you’re not self-consciously looking at yourself all the time
- Taking regular mini-breaks to rest your eyes
- Not multitasking
- Balancing video meetings with good old phone calls and emails where possible
How are you feeling about video calls? Let us know if you have tips of your own!
Routine Breakdown
Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon
Billionaire Jeff Bezos swears by going to bed early and waking up early. But, unlike many in the business set, he takes his mornings slowly. He:
- Drinks coffee and reads the newspaper
- Has breakfast with his kids before they go to school
- Putters. “I like to putter in the morning,” says Bezos. “My puttering time is very important to me. That’s why I set my first meeting for ten o’clock.”
Why it works:
- Spending time with family is beneficial (for both parents and kids)
- Downtime and mind wandering keep our brains fresh, boost our creativity, and ultimately make us more productive.
Bezos may not have the most rounded morning routine, but the lesson we can take from him is that we need to give ourselves time to just, well, do nothing.
The best way to ensure you get that downtime is to schedule it. Use your calendar or Panda Planner to block out the time, and stick to it – you won’t regret it.
Do you make time to just “putter”?
