Final Friday's Fab Finds for May 2020

As we wrap up this month, it feels like we continue an emotional rollercoaster ride: fear, anxiety, excitement, stress, hopefulness, hopelessness and so much more. For each of us, there are daily challenges. Yet, I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re each finding sources of comfort to help us stay safe and sane.

When disruption strikes, small businesses feel the impact faster and harder than anyone else with the effects lasting much longer afterward. With that in mind, I’m kicking off this new “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” series with a few options from small businesses that have been helping me find comfort while trying to maintain my sanity amidst all the efforts to be smart and safe.

Fragrances from candles can be both calming and energizing so I keep finding myself lighting one atop my desk while I’m working from home. My current favorite is Sweet Grace, which is the signature scent for The Flourish Market’s candles. There are numerous candleholder styles from which to choose, making it possible to find something for any space’s needs, and the fragrance lasts well after the candle’s flame is extinguished, meaning the benefits go on longer.

I splurge on my mental well-being by getting a weekly flower delivery, and I love each week’s creation by North Raleigh Florist. They know I’m a huge fan of sunflowers so they incorporate that happy flower whenever possible. Each week’s arrangement is designed to fit on my home office desk, adds something natural to my workspace and puts a smile on my face as I settle into work. Such happiness!

With all that’s happening in the world, my thoughts need an outlet, and I can talk through things to only a certain extent. Research shows that humans are more exposed to critical thinking when writing by hand instead of typing, which is why I find myself being pulled toward journaling on paper. The May Book from May Designs provides an ideal solution, allowing me to choose a fun, colorful cover, pick the size that I prefer, personalize the cover text and customize the inside paper design. It pairs well with a nice, gel pen.

Finally, as many of us are getting overloaded with back-to-back-to-back video conferences, I find myself sending more and more snail mail. The cards made by Emily McDowell seem to say exactly the right thing in a fun, colorful way, and I’m hoping they send a ray of sunshine to each of my friends’ mailboxes. She covers everything from empathy to gratitude to congratulations to a simple “happy birthday” in a witty way with fun artwork, and her creations pair perfectly with this season of unpredictability and contact changes.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Take care, y’all!

Weathering a New Season for Productivity

Now that we are almost 10 full weeks into actively protecting ourselves from COVID-19, I know it’s continually difficult to find peace and happiness, particularly as the world is ever-changing around us.

The anxiety remains high as the future is unclear. Similarly, although “stay at home" initially sounded like it wouldn't be too difficult, it turns out that social distancing can be majorly challenging. As the world starts transitioning into this timeframe where we re-enter elements of our economy that have been slowed by fighting this disease while still trying to minimize the negative effects this dreadful disease for which there is no treatment or vaccine, I realize the emotional rollercoaster will continue, including fear, anxiety, excitement, stress, hopefulness, hopelessness and more. 

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This period of uncertainty and fluidity has really brought me back to my core values for boosting productivity:
🌻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲. You are doing the best you can in the most extenuating of circumstances. If you’re working remotely, you are not a “work from home” employee; instead, you are at home trying to work amidst serious stress.
🧘🏻‍♀️ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. The more we roll with all the ups and downs of schedule changes, the better.
👩🏻‍💻 𝗔𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. There is plenty of grief to go around, whether that's grief for a loved one, grief for a job lost, grief for plans changed or something else, and the emotional rollercoaster is distracting, taking energy from desired results. Things now are exhausting. It’s okay to expect less productivity than would be considered normal.
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TAKE ACTION - While implementing these big-picture steps, there are a few tactics to adopt that can be super helpful:
1️⃣ Visualize what matters most to you, committing time to those priorities. We must know our goals to get there.
2️⃣ Internalize the belief that we all deserve joy, putting things on your calendar that bring happiness while staying at home. Maybe that's scheduling virtual hangouts with friends, achieving milestones with work goals, enjoying a tasty meal via takeout from a locally-owned small business, finding an organizational break-through for a troubling area of your home, self-care or something specific to your unique interests. Decide what you need and creatively go after it.
3️⃣ Create structure. Protect your designated workspace, whether that's a corner of the living room that you've partitioned off with painter's tape or an actual office. Have a morning routine that sets you up for success, including an effort to get dressed in such a way that you feel better about yourself. Set breaks throughout the day for movement, eating and staying hydrated. Find tools for capturing tasks, time commitments and information, culling the details together so they can be better organized and make using those details easier. Establish an evening routine that is calming and creates a foundation for the next day's success, expressing gratitude and celebrating what went right that day.
4️⃣ Determine what will hold you accountable. Do you need a carrot to work toward or something negative to avoid?
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This season is not normal, but there are still ways to thrive. Even if it’s only 5 minutes of deep breathing each day, taking a tiny bit of time to invest in your own well-being can go a long way toward cultivating the lives we want. What action can you take today for which your future self will be grateful?