Ah, new relationships! They can be fun and exciting, right? You love being together every day, you fall deep into the honeymoon period, and you feel that your partner is the best thing ever…
Hmm…do you remember mid-March, and a certain technology that blew up? Read the sentence above replacing Zoom with your partner…still works, right!
Yes, Zoom! I remember that gut wrenching feeling of being alone when we first learned that much of the world had shut down. Add living alone to that and it can really throw you for a loop.
My networking group started moving onto the platform that many of us were just starting to learn about. Working through kinks, like Zoom bombers, the leaders of our group helped us navigate through our new normal and suddenly I was with my friends again! It felt SO good!
I was on every day for a while, either networking, with friends, or with family, going to Zoom birthday parties and gathering for Zoom trivia nights. On my birthday in May, my friends threw me a surprise Zoom birthday and more friends appeared flash mob style to one of my favorite songs.
I loved Zoom! I couldn’t get enough of Zoom, until the day came that I could. Just like the honeymoon phase in a relationship, my relationship with Zoom peaked, and I reached the level of Zoom Fatigue, which many of us are facing today.
I just didn’t want to be on it anymore and faced that alone feeling again. I learned to fill my days in different ways, and after a while, as the world was starting to open up a bit, I started new routines with more balance.
Zoom is still a part of my new normal. I became a part of an accountability group with a few friends, go to a few networking meetings a week and even started virtual organizing with clients.
If you are still in the fog of Zoom Fatigue, here are some things to try to make being on it fun again:
- Dress up your space – If your dedicated area is small, or cluttered, or right next to your homeschooled child, set up a virtual background on your computer. Put yourself on the beach and bring your iced coffee with a tropical umbrella. Put yourself in a snazzy kitchen and put on an apron and throw some flour on your face. If your computer is not capable of working with virtual backgrounds, like mine is, get a cool shower curtain and hang it up behind you! Have fun! Of course, as a Professional Organizer, I must add in that you should take care of said clutter at some point…ha ha!
- Dress up yourself – You’ll be looking at everyone, and everyone will be looking at you. Dress up all the way, or just your top half and keep your pajama bottoms on. Just don’t get up to go across the room without turning your camera off first! Ladies, put on jewelry and makeup if it makes you feel good. Guys, keep your facial hair in check.
- Stay comfy – Wherever you sit, bring your creature comforts with you. Bring a pillow to keep your back happy, and your favorite iced or hot beverage, and wear your slippers. Get a comfy bed for your best furry friend and keep it by your seat. Just looking at them and petting them will make you stay calm and happy. Show off your pets on screen, unless you are in a more formal setting, of course!
- Stay organized – Of course I had to go here! You came to read a blog written by Professional Organizers, right? If you’re working from home, you may be working in different areas at different times, on the sofa, at the kitchen table, on your bed. Designate a tote or basket to collect all your necessities for when it’s time to get to your Zoom call.
So, learn to love Zoom again, but try to keep a life balance, and leave the honeymoon period for people, not the latest tech craze. Wishing you, your family, and your friends, a happy and healthy Fall!
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