Let’s be honest for a second. The 2020 calendar year has not been what any of us hoped for. In fact, most of us are probably thinking it’s been the worst year of our lives.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic causing uncertainty on a daily basis to an election that has filled us with anxiety, stress and worry and everything in between, the last few months have been nothing even close to our expectations. What started as a normal year has turned into the most abnormal of years we will ever experience.
Many of us have been focused on the negative effects of the last 10 months and it’s very understandable. But, when the pandemic started back in March, I chose to try to focus on the positives that have come with it. While many people may there haven’t been any positives, I can assure you there have been.
Like most of you reading this blog, I spent several months working from home during the early stages of the pandemic. Instead of commuting the five miles from my house to the UNCW campus, I made the short trip down the stairs and into the kitchen to my new “office.”
To be honest, I enjoyed working from home for several reasons. First and foremost, not having to commute as far to work meant I could sleep a little bit later. That extra rest came in handy because I wasn’t getting tired as early in the evening.
Working from home also allowed me to spend more time with my wife and our dog, Piper. My wife works from home all the time, so she is used to it by now. But, with me being at home, Piper could go for a couple of walks in the neighborhood every day, which meant I had a natural break in my day to get up from the kitchen table and take a short break. Believe me, those breaks were amazing.
I was also able to work on several research projects that had been put off for some time. I expanded our all-time rosters for several of the sports I work with to include the student-athlete’s jersey number and hometown. I still have some work to go on that particular project, but at least, I can cross it off the long-term list.
As I worked at home, I knew the possibility of working a true eight hours every day was not going to be feasible in the long term. My goal was to commit to one project or task every day and make sure that was done. If other things were completed, I considered it to be a bonus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed me to take a look at my time management skills and make sure I am not working to the point of burnout, which is something many of us working in sports experience at one point or another. I have said this numerous times to my colleagues and friends that there is no reward for constantly working 70-80 or more hours in a week other than an “all-expense trip to Bad Health Land.”
We all know there will be weeks when we have to work that many hours - it comes with the territory. But, if you don’t have to work that many hours to get things done, why are you? If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that we have to take care of ourselves because our health is never guaranteed.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the positives of the pandemic and the last seven months has been the additional time I can spend with my wife. We were able to take a three-week vacation to her family’s summer place in Vermont (by the way, if you are ever looking for a great place to vacation in the summer, go to Vermont - great weather!).
And during that time in the Green Mountain State, I completely unplugged from social media. I removed it from my phone and my iPad and didn’t look at it on my computer. It was the best feeling ever - I felt more relaxed and didn’t have to worry about what negative and bitter comments were being posted on those platforms. Frankly, I think social media is also the cause of some of our negative feelings about this year - there is so much negative stuff being posted.
My wife and I also were able to make two trips to Walt Disney World for weekend stays during the last few months, which is something we can’t usually do during the school year due to games and other commitments I have at work. While most people might be fearful about making a trip like that during this pandemic, I can tell you Disney is not messing around with the protocols and we felt very safe there on both occasions.
Finally, I have been able to do things like speak to classes at other schools and help friends and former student-athletes with assignments for classes by talking to them about my job and how I got to this point in my career. With the help of Zoom, all of that has been possible and to be honest, I have enjoyed speaking to those people because I am doing my small part to help them.
Not everything has been positive during this pandemic. Like many of you, I worry on a daily basis about how my job could be impacted by the lasting effects of the pandemic and having sports moved around. In fact, I wrote a personal blog post about the fear we all have, which you can read by clicking here.
But, instead of dwelling about the negative, I am choosing to look at it from a positive standpoint. Make sure to take advantage of those positives and make the best of this situation.
And also, let’s make sure we are there for each other during this uncertain time. I am always available by sending a DM on Twitter at @ericrhew or you can drop me an e-mail at rhew.eric@gmail.com. I may not have the answers, but I will certainly listen to whatever is on your mind.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to take Piper for another walk. Even though I am back in the office working every day, she still reminds me that it’s all about her.
- Eric Rhew (@ericrhew)
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