Rediscovered landscaping and horticulture as hobbies. Dedicated time to my hobbies in a more structured way - taking courses and applying knowledge practically.
Rediscovered landscaping and horticulture as hobbies. Dedicated time to my hobbies in a more structured way - taking courses and applying knowledge practically.
Playing piano during breaks is such a relaxing activity! Helps clear out my mind as if I took a one-hour walk.
Reduced screen time, e.g. social media, to a minimum and replaced it with positive book reading.
Discovered local tourism: plenty of places to visit, parks to marvel at, and nature trails to take. There’s no need to go abroad to break loose and recharge my batteries.
Garden work.
Enjoying smart books (and some silly ones too) and taking long walks in nature or the city.
Puzzles, reading, sports, Netflix :D
Joined a great company, read 20+ books, tried and retried exercising daily while in quarantine.
Started to volunteer at a foundation that seeks to preserve ancient woods.
Remote meetings with business partners and sharing experiences in these times of high volatility and uncertainty. It helped me stay calm and react faster when needed.
Enjoying the flexibility that working from home provides me with.
A positive change indeed! The quarantine proved that remote work may be efficient, simple to implement, and competently managed.
Going to the office when you can work from home.
Remote work - the biggest discovery and the most positive change in 2020. No longer wasting time on the commute, more time to plan things and improve my habits.
Increased productivity: more efficient time planning, more energy to improve my knowledge and skills by learning independently.
More time for my family. This led to discovering and finally understanding what work-life balance really is.
I'm more concerned about extrovert family members, friends, and colleagues rather than introverts. I’ve had more frequent "How are you?" calls and chats.
Started regular "Friday party" conference calls with my family and friends - and the calls work!
I’m closer to my family. I even learned the tradition of knitting wool socks from my grandmother and discovered that knitting is a type of meditation!
More homemade food cooked with love and awareness - more new recipes, healthy choices, more family get-togethers, and honest talks.
I started calling up my parents at least every two days – to compensate for the lack of in-person meetings.
Working out in the mornings - it keeps me motivated and positive.
Eliminating the commute allowed us to have long daily dog walks in a forest :)
Started exercising regularly and rediscovered karate after a break of 11 years! This is thanks to work from home, which saves time on my commute.
I'm having breakfast every morning! It is a 20-30 min dedicated "me" time before my working day starts.
Riding a bicycle.
Extensive walks - often taking up to 2 hours per day! Used to be a luxury before, but walks are a must now.
Started doing yoga each morning - a good way to practice a change in perspective and my flexibility – especially when doing a headstand :)
Rediscovered quality sleep and getting 8-9 hours of night sleep regularly, for the first time in one and a half years!
Moved my home office to a rural area and started walking in the woods. I experienced nature cycles first hand. That hasn't happened in a long time!
Trying to follow my meditation calendar - spending at least five minutes per day to quiet my mind.
Rearranged flat furniture, adjusted the interior, changed my spot for remote work. A cozy home makes it easier to stay sane indoors.
Started going to personal therapy and reading specific books to improve my mental health.
Adjusted my perspective to life - reminding myself that life is just lessons and joy. No point in doing something if it doesn’t grow you or gives you joy. This is my mantra now.
Time slowed down in 2020, so I’ve revised my values and re-evaluated my personal and professional goals.
Wonderful! Remote work, contactless delivery, after-lunch naps. No alarms and keeping up with fashion. Less social anxiety and less pressure to maintain weak friendships.
To be honest, I didn't have much time to think about the changes. Maybe that's my take-away from 2020.