Here we are, 7 months into a global pandemic and potentially facing more lockdowns. I don’t know about you but it’s been wearing on me. It seems like my days are filled with endless meetings and by the end of the day, my brain is mush. It’s gotten to where I don’t look forward to starting each day, that next looming meeting feels like a weight on my shoulders and frankly, I’m cranky. Not the best head space to be in when you deal with clients and employees all day.
But what gives? I realize that people being cooped up at home has caused a lot of mental challenges for people and Microsoft has been doing what they can rolling out features in Microsoft Teams to reduce meeting fatigue and help people feel together, but what about me? I’ve been working remotely for the majority of my career and I’m still doing the same work I’ve always loved? Why does it now feel like such a burden?
I tried taking my lunches away from the computer. I tried virtual happy hours. I tried picking up some good eBooks. I tried speaking at and attending virtual conferences. We even did a podcast on burnout! Still knowing I had to wake up and attend more meetings was like putting on lead shoes.
Does any of this sound familiar? Well, let me tell you there is hope if we just take some advice from the Showtime series Dexter. No, I’m not suggesting we kill anyone, although some days that doesn’t sound like the worst idea in the world… kidding… mostly… In season 8 of Dexter, the character Dr. Vogel makes a random comment:
“The best hobbies are the ones that take us furthest from our primary occupation.”
Dr. Vogel, Season 8 of Dexter
Is that not the best advice you could hear right now? I mean, it was for me. One of my favorite hobbies pre-pandemic was traveling and speaking at conferences. I genuinely love visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, and just getting OUT. No wonder I’m hoping that all these virtual conferences don’t become the norm. It’s important to my mental health. It’s also potentially at the root of my previous blog post about recording virtual sessions.
However, nothing I was doing was actually taking me far enough away from my primary occupation. If I’m sitting at my desk, in front of a computer or staring at a screen it’s not recharging my batteries, no matter how much I might enjoy the task.
So, this past week, I decided to get as far away from my primary occupation as I could. I blocked off my calendar so I couldn’t be added to any more meetings. I backed out of a few more meetings that I wasn’t really needed for… and I went outside and built a deck… well, I extended our existing deck. It was the perfect combination of physical labor, engineering (have you ever tried to make something that big square?), and had ZERO to do with a computer screen. I dug holes, cut boards, put in more screws than I can count, and have the callouses, splinters, and bruises to prove it. I worked until dark a few nights and at the end I had created something…. And it was about as far away as from my profession as I could have gotten (during a pandemic anyway).
Oh, and did I mention I’ve never actually built a deck before? All the tools I used were inherited from my dad. On a more personal note, my dad passed away in 2006 and it made me feel close to him doing something I know he would have loved to do with me. Go hug your dad if you are lucky enough to have him around.
And I feel so much better. I have more energy, my brain turned back on. I’m having ideas again and designing things in my head when I’m not even really thinking about work. I’m hopefully less cranky and have more patience… we’ll see for sure this week on that one.
I’m definitely going to do what I can to enjoy some of my other hobbies that are so far left field of my career and if you find yourself in the same boat I highly recommend you find a hobby (or even chore) that is as far away from your primary occupation as possible.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Stay safe. Stay healthy. See you soon!!
Oh, and for those that care, here are the pictures of my deck project from last week.
Nice deck Mark, you’ve got a hidden skill.
Thanks! 🙂