Our workdays have looked a little different recently. Pre-COVID, our greatest achievement was getting to work on time without getting stuck in rush-hour traffic. Post-COVID, it’s an achievement if we change out of our pajamas by noon.
Despite all the perennial doom and gloom, we’ll never forget come of the simple joys of spending so much time at home. Spending more time with the family. Eating lunch outside. Taking the dog for a walk around the block. Watching the matinee on Turner Classic Movies. No commute. No office politics.
These small pleasures have changed our approach to work as we know it. And we’re not sure what to make of it all.
That’s not to say that this whole WFH thing hasn’t brought challenges — kids, barking dogs, and noisy neighbors spring to mind. But this “new normal” has changed our perception of the entire concept of work.
A New Work-Life Balance
We’ve finally realized the importance of work-life balance, and the work part doesn’t seem as important as it once was. We’re not the only ones to think so. Seventy-three percent of people working from home say their work-life balance has improved since the pandemic, affording them more time with kids, partners, and pets. Sixty-five percent of people love WFH so much they want to become full-time remote employees after the pandemic.
And working from home has made us re-route our path to productivity. Pre-COVID, our lives revolved around dates, deadlines, and duties, and the never-ending grind of working and commuting meant sacrificing our home lives. We still need (and want) to work, but we’ve realized other things are more important. We want work to be a part of our life, not our entire life.
According to business consultant and self-described ‘Productivity Ninja’ Grace Marshall – “For some, simply stepping off the treadmill and having time to think has resulted in shifts in values. It seems people are looking to adopt new ways of working and thinking about their work to replace stress, overwhelm and frustration with success.”
A Value Shift
We encourage all those who work in the motion picture industry to maintain the balance we have learned over the past year. We’ve used our pandemic-induced downtime to explore new talents, reconnect with fellow industry members, reflect on past achievements, spread kindness in our communities, and make time for “me” time.
And now we’re past the initial shock of a disrupted work life, more of us are working on ourselves — cultivating gratitude, counting our blessings, and reaching out when things get tough.
What You Can Do Now
Here are some other things you can do to work on yourself:
- Embark on a digital detox where you reduce social media time.
- Improve your sleep habits.
- Exercise more.
- Laugh more.
- Breathe. Deeper.
- Learn something. Find a new passion.
- Emulate the people who inspire you.
- Remove negativity from your life.
- Think positively about the future.
We’re not sure what the immediate future holds. But, eventually, things will get back to normal. (They always do.) Until then, we’re going to focus on what’s important, and it’s not just the grind of work.