How a gutted Pillow led to a Great New Idea
Rip….Rip…Rip
 
It was a heads down afternoon. I blocked out time to “go dark” and work undisrupted on upgrading our Innovation workshop. I set up camp in our dining room. I had papers, notes, my tablet and laptop all sprawled out – I was ready to go.

Rip…Rip…Rip….
 
What is that noise? Annoyed, I saved my document and got up to follow the sound.
Rip….Rip…Rip
 
I walk into my family room only to find our golden retriever surgically gutting a pillow. Fluff was EVERYWHERE—not sure even with CPR this pillow was going to make it. I bellow his name…BARKLEY!!! He paused glanced up with those cute puppy eyes that has saved him on numerous occasions, and gave me a look like “What’s your problem?”
 
At that moment I knew I had a choice. I could chastise him, or I could hold the mirror up and ask what did I do to cause this behavior? As I glanced down at my watch, I realized I had been heads down over two hours. It also dawned on me that he’d given me several warning signs – nudging my arm with his snout, coming in and sitting next to me, even hitting me with his paw.
 
I had to take part of the blame. He’d given me several signs that he wanted some of my attention and a bit of time. With his eyes on me, he anxiously waited to see what I was going to do next. I then spoke one of his favorite words “Tennis!” He ran to the door, leaping in circles, yelping with glee. I laced up my sneakers, grabbed the tennis racket and headed outside for 10 minutes of fetch.
 
As I settled back behind my laptop, I was more awake and had a great new idea percolating in my head, he curled up happily at me feet. As a bent down and rubbed his ears, it struck me, “He’s smarter than he acts (well most of the time – he’s a handful)!”. 
 
Now more than ever, with so many of us working from home, do we ignore the signs to stop, take a break or spend some time doing something we enjoy?
 
In our jam-packed and uncertain world, I think it’s more important than ever to sneak in these micro moments. They are the key to our sanity, health and can hold our next great idea.
 

This was the text I just received from a friend who is experiencing one of the dark sides of working from home—the kitchen is ALWAYS calling! On the surface, working from home would seem to give you unparalleled control of your diet. You decide what and when to eat. You have a pantry filled with healthy food and snacks. What a great time to lose those ten pounds you’ve been fighting with forever. What could possibly go wrong?

In short, everything!

I’ve worked from home for over the last 15 years and the struggle is real. It’s way too easy to meander into the kitchen and “just have one bite” or convinced myself that I NEED that brownie to give me that boost to get through my next Zoom call.

And, my pantry isn’t helping my battle either during this crisis. Yes, we are stocked with lots of immunity-boosting, good for you foods; fruits, veggies, lean proteins, almond milk, yogurts—you name it, we go it. But, let’s face it during times of stress and uncertainty along with having a ravenous college junior and high school senior now hunkered down with us 24/7, our pantry has gone to the dark side. At this very moment you’ll find cosmic brownies, cookie dough and peanut M&Ms—all whispering my name.
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During the first few days of the pandemic, I heard so many people proclaim, now that I’m going to be home, “I am going to exercise every day!”, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds”, “I’m going to do a cleanse and cut out sugar!”. While these are all noble aspirations, this truly isn’t the time to set lofty goals. We are all under enough stress and pressure as we all adjust to this new normal.
Instead, over the next few months let’s shoot for being HEALTHY. Let’s take the pressure off and start with small adjustments and tweaks. This will allow us to stick with our changes, experience success and help us be even more fit to lead during these trying times. Remember, most habits take three months to establish, so hopefully we can come out of this crisis with several new healthy habits that are sustainable and will give us the energy and stamina we need to give the most to our jobs and the people we love.
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years:
 
Start the Day off on the Right Foot!
Have you ever noticed that after a brisk walk or even some stretching you come back with a different mindset? Exercise truly is a magic pill. In as little as 15 minutes you can boost your mood, turn from sluggish to energized and clear your mind. Also, by starting your day on a healthy note, you will be more likely to continue that trend throughout the day.
Before you jump into your schedule for the day:

• Take a brisk walk around your yard or neighborhood
• Set the timer and walk up and down your stairs
• Go old school and do some jumping jacks, pushups, mountain climbers
• Practice some yoga moves
• Grab your kids and kick a soccer ball around the yard, play tag, shoot some hoops

Eat Breakfast
I am not a big breakfast eater. The thought of food first thing literally makes me nauseous first thing in the morning. But I have developed a routine that works. For me, after my coffee, I shower and get ready for the day. Right before I head to my office or spot for the day, I make a smoothie loaded with fruits, kale, almond milk and protein power. This along with my water bottle filled to the brim sustains me for the morning. I also feel “healthy” and keep the munchies at bay.
Pack your Lunch and Snacks
I know it sounds a bit crazy, you can just stroll down the hall and make lunch when your hungry. Well that’s precisely the problem. If you’re like me, I’m on the phone all morning and when it’s time to grab lunch, I am ravenous. So that salad I told myself I would eat that day now looks as appealing as cardboard. I convince myself that “just for today” I am going to skip that salad and have something fun – it’s now day 22!

• Get some washable containers and make and pack a reasonable amount of food for the day.
• Pack your lunch and snacks the night before so it’s ready to go.
• Convenience is key. Have cut-up vegetables ready to go in the fridge so that, if you want to snack on celery and hummus, you already have washed and cut up celery ready to go in a Ziploc bag (this prevents you from thinking: "I don't have time/don't feel like washing celery and cutting it right now").

Make it a virtual lunch date
My big joke when people would ask me what I do for lunch is I would tell them “I eat my Lean Cuisine over the trash can!” The worst thing you can do is mindlessly shovel in food while on a conference call or inhale it in a hurry. Get up and move away from your office, even if it’s for a few minutes. And, just because you don't have coworkers to drag you out to lunch doesn't mean you have to suffer in silence.

• Call a friend and have virtual lunch together
• Have a socially distance lunch with a neighbor
• Grab your family and eat outside

Snack, it’s okay
I am a big believer in moderation. It’s okay to eat those M&Ms, just not the whole bag. Many times, when we deprive ourselves, especially under stress, we only make the cravings worse.
So instead:

• Break out those small containers that are lurching in the back of your cabinet and fill them with your favorite treats. It’s perfectly fine to have some “fun” snacks, but just proceed with caution.
• By measuring out a portion, one you’ll be satisfied that you got to eat the whole thing and two, even if you wanted more it’s going to take a conscious effort to get up and go get it!

Out of Reach—Out of Mind
I live with some very tall people and I am not. Our family joke is that I am 5’5” when I puff my hair (80’s and a Jersey girl!!) I’ve been known to ask family to place my favorite indulgences on the highest shelf in our pantry so it’s literally out of reach. If I truly want that snack, I have to work for it. Either I have to drag over the bar stool to reach it or go find someone to get it for me. Most of the time, I resign myself to the fact that the effort’s just not worth it (or the cajoling from my fam). But if I do go through the gyrations to get that coveted snack I’ve at least gotten in some movement to earn it!

Have an accountability partner
Once you start building healthy habits, they'll be easier to stick to. You’ll start feeling better and have more energy to tackle your day. However, if you need help, don't be afraid to reach out and get it. When working from home, willpower can only take a person so far. Keep a food journal, ask a friend to be your partner or create a health challenge with your team.
Now wipe those Doritos off your fingers and let’s get started!
 
 -Stacey