Anyone who knows me both professionally or personally, knows that I’m an extrovert. In my opinion iso life was not built for me and my fellow extroverts. I initially found it a real struggle not having the corridor chat, the after work drink and the weekend of socialising with friends. I learnt just how far on the extrovert scale I was, and how much I rely on and need regular interaction. It took me some time to adjust, I had to find new ways to get the social aspect back in some capacity. On a personal front I downloaded the house-party app, which allowed me to see friends again on weekends, and instead of my daily visit to the gym, I have taken up running in the park, inviting friends to join at a social distance.

On the work font, I started my new and exciting role in isolation, and to be honest, I was a bit anxious about how it was all going to play out WFH. I set myself a 30,60, 90 day plan to ensure I hit the ground running, and set the team up for success. However, thanks to COVID-19 I was now facing a completely different environment, and I needed to change tactics to connect and engage with my team via a 13” inch screen, whilst still achieving the same impact. I am grateful to be working for a company which is set up to WFH, and the team has been incredibly agile and supportive. I feel even though we have not yet met in person, we are more connected than ever via our team huddles, happy hours on Friday and daily check-ins. For me the biggest challenge continues to be where work finishes and home starts! I’m really fortunate to have a very supportive wife who also works in the industry. We set boundaries to help create space between work and home, as well as strong companionship which really helps to get through isolation.

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