The Nerd Approach
I wasn't ready for the freedom of working at home to turn into a burdensome cage.
I lost my hustle to COVID-19
I am a germaphobe and had been wearing a mask at work for at least two or three weeks in the office. I was the only one wearing one. Imagine my happiness when my boss said I could work from home!
I was on cloud nine.
I developed a routine.
#WFH Routine
My routine was simple when our work from home protocol began.
Wake up-> Grab a bite to eat -> Brush teeth -> Wash Face -> Head upstairs to work.
It was amazing! I would open the curtains so our Boston Terrier Sasha nap in the rays of the sun dancing across the floor. While she slept, snoring ever so sweetly, I would work on the day-to-day marketing items and dedicate time to special projects without interruption.
When it was time to take a break, I'd head downstairs and on to the front porch to take in the warmth of the sun and look at the lake across the street. Sometimes, I'd take both dogs on a walk. I even bought a Peleton and was taking classes everyday.
After clocking out from the day job, the side-hustle would begin, allowing me to shift attention to the Personal Branding 101 course for The Nerd Approach.
It was a new day, a new dawn.. I was feeling good.
An Eagle Blessing
I knew I was immensely blessed when I looked out the window and saw a bald eagle sitting on the branch of a massive pine tree over the lake. When we moved in a few years ago, I figured some lived around here but had quickly given up my search.. Today, the eagle found me.
That may not seem like a blessing to y'all, but to me it was kismet. And while I was soaring high like that eagle as I worked for home, little did I know, I would soon stop enjoying the boon of working from home. I wasn't ready for the freedom of working at home to turn into a burdensome cage.
I knew I was immensely blessed when I looked out the window and saw a bald eagle sitting on the branch of a massive pine tree over the lake..
WTF Happened
Something happened on my way to work-from-home nirvana. The number of COVID-19 cases was depressing. The election year coupled with racial tensions seemed to be draining my soul. I was missed my dad and sister. I missed getting in the car and going to a shopping center or going out to eat. (Before you judge me- remember, I'm a germaphobe. Just walking around the mall or eating at a restaurant with recycled air is not for me.)
I just stopped.
My morning routine? No more. I'd just wake up, grab a laptop and start working.
Getting some sun? Nope. There were days at a time when I'd only go outside to get groceries the shopped dropped off or an Amazon package. Still, that's not really outside. That's the doormat.
The Peloton? Just as Hubby feared.. it is now a clothes rack.
It got to the point that even doing my job became a hassle. And forget about anything related to this site. I lost my hustle to COVID-19.
I spent an entire weekend in bed.
Something happened on my way to work-from-home nirvana.. I lost my hustle to COVID-19.
It feels like a cop out to say COVID-19 caused me to lose my hustle. Did I become a bit lazy? I will own that (laundry piles be damned), but there is something about 2020 that really sucks. It's not just the pandemic, but everything else that has come with it.
Fighting my way back
How am I coping? Well- just knowing I had a problem? I think that's half the battle.
I started meditating using mala beads. Beautiful, cool to the touch obsidian mala beads that I found on Etsy. It's not a structured type of meditation, but for each bead I focus and declare what I need in that moment.
"Confidence. Tenacity. Focus..."
I don't know what it is about that time of meditation that centers me.
I'm drinking more water and will do a juice cleanse about once a month. And this week, I vow to spend at least 30 minutes on my front porch everyday, watching for birds and being reenergized by the sun.
I'm not all the way back yet, but I am getting there. One mala bead and porch-watching appointment at a time.
I'm taking my hustle back.