Today marked the end of my eighteenth week of working from home. Here are my takeaways from week eighteen:

• Mental wellness – I’ve noticed that more people are discussing the pandemic’s impact on their mental state. Talking about this openly is a good thing. It’s encouraging to people who are struggling to know they’re not alone. I myself have had days when I struggled. I hope that we continue to discuss this topic at work and at home.
• Little wins – I really wanted a small win to celebrate, and I found one. A few weeks ago, I downloaded a new software tool. It’s extremely complicated and intimidating, so I never started using it. My goal was to use it daily. I accomplished that this week, which was encouraging. I plan to learn more about the tool so that I can take full advantage of everything it offers. This little win was a good way to end the week on a high note.
• Zoom – I like Zoom, but I find myself needing to schedule a break from it. Using it a lot in a day strains my eyes and leaves me mentally drained.  

Week eighteen was positive and pretty normal. No major takeaways this week. In two weeks, I’ll reach the five-month mark.

I’ll continue to learn from this unique situation, adjust as necessary, and share my experience.