We are all currently living in constant fatigue. Pandemic, civil unrest, elections, science deniers, attacks on good leadership by bad leadership, and our inability to just sit still. Why does sitting at home, doing nothing, or watching TV constitute us as being lazy and unproductive when we’re all suffering a collective mental breakdown, whether we see it or not? And why do we feel guilty about it all? The inability to sit still is the American way and, if this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to let go of that notion.

Most of us are still working from home, so our work-life balance has been thrown out the window. My desk is in the family room, where I later spend time with my family on the couch, playing a board game, reading silently, doomscrolling, or watching TV. At the beginning of all of this, I couldn’t tell when my workday ended and my home life began.

The Reds are working hard to maintain balance and to rethink how we do business as usual. Our approach has definitely changed over the course of the last seven months, and it will likely continue to shift as we continue to work from a distance to keep each other safe. Here are some tips and tricks that, collectively, have helped us stay productive and engaged in our work while maintaining a sense of balance.

1. Maintain a weekly production meeting.
Every Monday morning, we check in as a team with a full production meeting via Zoom and discuss the week and beyond. This allows everyone to plan their week and clarify any tasks that might seem unclear.

2. Have daily check-ins with your team.
Every morning, we quickly check in with each other to make sure we have everything we need to go about our day. This is usually a quick Slack and then we’re good to go. Most days everyone is good to go. The sense of knowing someone has your back is what makes those check-ins, for me, meaningful.

3. Be realistic about deadlines.
As we all now know, time is not real. It simultaneously moves fast and slow, while staying still. Be very generous with the cushion-time you’ve built in for each project if you can. Both your team and clients will thank you. We all have an invisible weight we’re carrying around.

4. Organize your desktop.
It’s all so unfamiliar. Your server access is not the same. You’re using Dropbox, email, and pigeon mail to share files. Things can get messy really fast. Take the time at the end of your week to clean up your digital space so, come Monday, you’re ready to tackle the week with a clean slate.

5. Take time off.
You have PTO for a reason. You’ll be more productive. Science agrees. Your mental health will thank you.

6. Take walks throughout the day and stretch.

7. Plan happy hours.
Don’t make those a weekly thing, because then it becomes forced fun. But, once in a while, pour yourself a beverage and have a social hour with your team. It’ll remind everyone that, in the end, we’re all humans trying to survive through all of this.

Bonus: Minimize social media activity.
I recently removed Facebook from my phone which has significantly helped my mental health and productivity. I also ignore social media on weekends, which has helped reset my week. Remove stressful sources so help declutter the mess we’re all in.