Continuing our series of blogs from candidates, clients and friends, John Stevenson talks about staying motivated during the crisis.
Tiger King or Burger King?
What am I going to have for dinner tomorrow? (As I’m eating today’s breakfast) and what do I do now that I’ve finished Tiger King? – These have become my two biggest questions of this pandemic so far. Seriously.
As we are all thrown into this unnatural and surreal time in history, we find ourselves focussing on the smaller areas of our lives whilst trying to keep a sense of normal.
Since the 18th March I’ve been self-isolating in North London with my girlfriend and her friend. It’s been a naturally stress-free few weeks considering the situation and we have found ways to keep ourselves busy whilst we sit and watch the world (literally) go by.
On the first weekend of the official lockdown we called my friend Paul on Zoom and had a “Quarioke” night. After a bit of trial and error and some questionable song choices, we managed to successfully duet (Probably to the despair of our neighbours) for a good few hours. Even though we couldn’t physically hang out, it was so nice to still feel like we are spending quality time with friends.
During the first week, we set-up an office space in the kitchen/dining area aptly named: WeWork Finny P. It has worked really well keeping regular office hours and doing exercise classes either in the middle of the day or after work.
I finished my last role at the backend of last year, so luckily working from home didn’t come as much of a shock for me. Instead of getting downbeat, I decided to take action and put myself in the strongest position for when the market picks up again.
LinkedIn has been a treasure trove of resources during this pandemic. I have taken the time to up-skill in areas where employers would most likely take notice, for example: Excel skills, MS project and InDesign.
With my girlfriend and her friend still working, it has been difficult to stay motivated and I find myself missing the buzz of work and desire to feel useful- so these courses have been a welcome distraction.
So, as we stare into the abyss of what is to come, my advice to stay balanced is: Keep a routine, eat good food and watch Tiger King!