10 Things I’ve Learned During the Pandemic
3 min readJan 31, 2021
First off, this has been a crazy and extremely difficult time for a lot of people. My privilege is NOT lost on me. I’m lucky. At the same time, I’m eternally grateful for the time I’ve had with my wife and kids over the last six months. I know my kids better than I did in March and they know me better. There may NEVER be another time where I’m home with them all day for an entire year.
- I used to think my time was my time and family time was family time. Being a parent destroys that notion, whether you’re ready for it or not. That’s a truth now more than ever, since we’re on top of each other 24/7. Now, if I want to train, I bring the kids downstairs into the gym and I lift while they play. We include them in more activities around the house. Kel and I sit out back and talk or have a drink while we hang with the kids. This is not to say that ‘me time’ isn’t important. It is. But it’s vital to fit things in wherever you can.
- I’ve learned to appreciate downtime. For the first time in my life, ‘no’ is my default when being asked to do things. It’s freeing. Because of this, home has never felt like more of a safe place. We NEVER used to go an entire weekend without plans. Now we go weeks without leaving the crib. And I’m largely cool with it. As Ryan Holiday says, “stillness is key”.
- Points two and three have everything to do with mental health. I go to therapy. Ain’t afraid to say it. Mental health is important and don’t let anyone tell you different. I had a tough go of it at the beginning of this Pandemic. Crazy and irrational Anxiety. I knew I had to be stronger for my family, for my team, and for myself. So I did something about it.
- I miss my family and friends.
- I’m a runner. I’ve always liked running but never thought I could (and the meathead in me balked at the idea). Then I took the initiative to research running form, mobility, and the reason behind my nagging injuries (Ready to Run by Kelly Starrett). The results have been empowering. Perhaps most important, running is something Kel and I can share, which has brought us closer.
- I’ve never been more fired up about social justice. And I’ve never been more aware of the privilege I’ve had due to the color of my skin. Black Lives Matter.
- I miss my University Tees fam. And I miss my commute and small talk and wearing real clothes and in-person client meetings and lunches and strategy sessions and everything else that comes with working at a one-of-a-kind company like University Tees. #ShirtsDontSleep
- Walks are magic. I take my kids for a long walk almost every single day. We go see the rabbits, turtles, and frogs on our local hike and bike trail. We talk about anything and everything that’s on my four year old’s mind. It’s the best conversation I have all day. And if the kids aren’t around I’ll do a quick 15 on the treadmill.
- I can count on one hand the amount of workouts I’ve missed since July. I’m lucky to have the flexibility to work remotely, which has eliminated the need for a commute and created an extra 90 minutes in the day. I chose to use that 90 minutes to make myself better. More cooking. More fruits and salads. More reading. More writing. More lifting. The pandemic, if nothing else, has been a reminder that life is precious and that we should do everything we can do live a healthy lifestyle.
- Can’t be afraid to live. But, also, don’t be an ass.