Monday, August 15, 2022

Virtual Workplaces and Isolation

Working remotely has massive upsides…some of the time. It affords flexibility that is not typically available in traditional office settings. 

And that’s great…I guess.

I’ve been living a remote work life for more than seven years. Long before the pandemic and masks and paranoia.

The first five had me on the road so much it was as if I (kind of) still worked in a corporate setting, I simply commuted to work via Southwest Airlines.

Now, not so much. Fortunately travel is coming back (disclosure, I love business travel!) - and even though the airlines are struggling to handle the crush of passengers and limited staffing, I’m still grateful it is back.

For me, the human connection is critical. I’ve also realized I am far more effective when I’m around other people.

Isolation for me, has turned into somewhat of a productivity blocker and that doesn’t feel so good.


So, instead of wallowing in self-pity, I’ve made some purposeful decisions to counteract my current situation.

1. Get out of my condo every day. I now work from coffee shops around South Tampa as much as possible in order to be around other people.

2. Understand when I’m at my most productive. For me, it’s the first part of the day.  After 4-5 hours of focused work I need to shift gears and knock out less intensive tasks for a while to recharge before finishing the day strong.

3. Add business networking and personal coffee meet-ups to a day each week. These early “meetings” are a great way to stimulate my brain, engage with others in a thoughtful way, and get me fired up for the heavy workload I need to tackle.

How do you battle isolation? I’m always looking to learn new ways to improve how I manage my mental health, because the new wave of isolation is no joke.

Thanks for being here.

Jay


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