May 2020: COVID Conversations...AKA Every Good Resource I've Found So Far
Admittedly, everyone and their brother is giving advice these days. We are not even sure when all this will be over, and what life will even look like at that point anyway. So I hold on to these recommendations a bit loosely ~ nevertheless these are the resources I have used for myself and with clients in the last month and they have been helpful.
15 tips for sharing parenting duties and workspaces during COVID-19. This comes from someone I've recommended before ~ Gretchen Rubin. One podcaster calls her The Swiss Army Knife for Happiness. This link is flat out practical and down-to-earth. OK, while I'm at it, here's another SUPER HELPFUL one she posted recently on really effective tips on sleep.
How to Combat Zoom Fatigue. I had a "V-8 moment" when I read this from the article: "Finally, 'Zoom fatigue' stems from how we process information over video. On a video call the only way to show we’re paying attention is to look at the camera. But, in real life, how often do you stand within three feet of a colleague and stare at their face?"
A New Way to Mourn. Please, please if you only look at one thing from this post, let it be this. This was achingly beautiful and poignant. I cannot recommend it enough.
A Plan to Safely Reopen the U.S. Despite Inadequate Testing. I have had multiple conversations with high-level, executive leaders who are struggling with how to define the specifics of what it will mean to open up again. While each state will have different rules, all of their standards will not be granular enough to equip each type of entity. This brief and clear article, authored by 7 experts, comes from reliable sources at Harvard Business Review and Harvard Medical School, among others.
How to Recover When Your Career Gets Derailed. I loved this quote: "Don’t underestimate how flattened you are after a career debacle. Give yourself time to recover, gain perspective, and, simply, rest." From a huge transition I had to make during the 2009 financial downturn, I completely concur. Do everything you can to simplify your life and make it possible for you to not have to rush into the next decision.
Podcast Faves. These have bubbled up in new forms since we've gone into quarantine:
- Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel. OK, I am cheating a little bit in this one because it has existed for a couple of years. But she is doing a new series about couples under lockdown that is stunning. Just listen.
- Sugar Calling with Cheryl Strayed. She interviews her favorite authors and asks them for advice as to how they are coping.
- Terrible, Thanks for Asking. I probably like the title of this more than anything, but wow it has some stellar episodes. There was one in March titled "9 Things" that is UNBELIEVABLE.
Virtual Museum Tours. Last but not least, please please check these out. Better yet, run them through AppleTV or whatever gizmo you've got and drink 'em in.
- The Louvre in Paris;
- The Sistine Chapel in Rome;
- The Metropolitan Museum in NYC;
- The Smithsonian in DC;
- Hungry for more?! Go here.
Please let me know if you find any of the above helpful... I have been reading a little of Mary Oliver before I go to bed each night, and this one has stayed with me:
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
Reach out to me at kelly.soifer@ksleadershipdevelop.me. Feel free to share this with others. Thanks for reading.
