pandemic What Will You And Your Station Do Differently Today To Make A Difference In Your Audience's Life In The Middle Of The COVID-19 Pandemic? By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 01:20:01 -0700 During the COVID-19 lockdown, and during the gradual re-opening of communities, PPM meters are now coming back online and meter counts are inching up as more people get in cars and resume a … more Full Article
pandemic The American Heart Association outlines its role in the global COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2020 13:00:00 GMT Embargoed until 8 a.m. CT/9 a.m. ET Tuesday, March 17, 2020 DALLAS, March 17, 2020 — The American Heart Association and its thousands of ... Full Article
pandemic Interim guidance issued on stroke care during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:30:00 GMT DALLAS, April 2, 2020 — The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Stroke Council Leadership has released “Temporary Emergency Guidance to U.S. Stroke Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which was published late yesterday in Stroke,... Full Article
pandemic The new pandemic threat: People may die because they’re not calling 911 By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 21:00:00 GMT DALLAS, April 22, 2020 — Reports from the front lines of hospitals indicate a marked drop in the number of heart attacks and strokes nationally. But, COVID-19 is definitely not stopping people from having heart attacks, strokes and cardiac arrests. We ... Full Article
pandemic Framework on how to safely resume essential cardiovascular diagnostic and treatment care during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the AHA and 14 North American cardiovascular societies By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 16:39:00 GMT AHA COVID-19 newsroom DALLAS, May 4, 2020 — The American Heart Association, together with 14 cardiovascular societies in North America, today issued joint guidance, “Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic:... Full Article
pandemic Interim CPR guidelines address challenges of providing resuscitation during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:09:00 GMT Embargoed until 8 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. ET Thursday, April 9, 2020 AHA COVID-19 newsroom DALLAS, April 9, 2020 — With COVID-19 incidence currently increasing exponentially worldwide, the percentage of cardiac arrests with COVID-19 are also likely to... Full Article
pandemic Online business exchange creates community, makes critical connections to meet needs during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, April 29, 2020 — As the shortage of many goods, resources and services grows during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the American Heart Association, the leading nonprofit organization focused on a world of healthier lives for all, has launched ... Full Article
pandemic This Art Collective Creates Concepts That Have Emerged From The Coronavirus Pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 12:41:52 +0000 The Coronavirus is changing our relation to each other and affecting our perception of reality. This virus is very democratic:... Full Article Technology care coronavirus masks medics personal protecting safe
pandemic Artist Makes Cardboard Cutouts With Pandemic Jokes To Lighten This Difficult Time By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 11:28:05 +0000 Gotcha! According to John Marshall: “I draw on sheets of cardboard and pose with them at sunset. I call them... Full Article Design cardboard coronavirus cutouts isolation
pandemic Dugout Sports, MLB pitcher Mitch Keller team up to support local firefighters during pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 12:42:34 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — Jay Whannel is baseball through and through. He was a star player in high school and college, played briefly in the professional independent leagues. He coached in college and... Full Article Minor League Sports
pandemic Celebrity content marketing lessons from a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 18:48:21 PDT When it comes to content marketing, we live in extraordinary times. With cutting-edge tools such as live video, VR and AI at our fingertips, we can give our community behind-the-scenes access to our... Full Article Business
pandemic Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries: Celebrating during a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:10:23 PDT A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin. For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and... Full Article Health
pandemic Ham bone soup and the pandemic By www.thegazette.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 10:40:52 -0400 When asked to recall something good about his week, Peter paused before declaring, “Well, I made a ham. And tonight, I will be making soup from the bone.” It was his father’s recipe, and one of the few warm memories between the irruptive Vietnam vet and his son. “He was meticulous about the recipe,” Peter remembers. “I thought it might help.” As the coronavirus tightened its grip on the city of New York, Peter and his wife Sara fled their small Queens’s apartment for Long Island. Peter has been cooking from his father-in-law’s kitchen for five weeks now. “Our goal is to return home in five more,” he slowly adds. Decades ago, scholars, futurists and government agencies were asked to predict what life might look like in the year 2020. They offered forecasts of 26-hour work weeks, missions to Mars, and lives stretching beyond 100 years. But as John Lennon sang, “Nobody told me there’d be days like these / Strange days indeed.”Like many academics across the country, I have hastily converted my classes to an online platform, while fielding messages from concerned students. Not only is the pandemic stirring alarm, but a mounting economic crisis is threatening to derail an entire generation still struggling to see their dreams in color. As I wrote my classes, “When the current health crisis passes — and it inevitably will — the world will look much different.” I silently ask myself if we have prepared them for this time.It has been written that hope and fear travel hand in hand and our fate is determined by which one we choose to befriend. Though I am still in the midst of completing the spring semester, my mind is already in pursuit, cutting through the neighbor’s backyard and down the alley, armed with a tool kit and firehouse … reassuring others that the darkness of the night is also the dawning of a new day.As I was preparing for bed, I received a text from Peter. It included a photo of a simple bowl of soup, alongside two pieces of toast, on a bare wooden table. The broth hadn’t gone as planned, Peter explained. His father-in-law’s crockpot somehow couldn’t bring the ham bone to a full boil and Peter was forced to improvise. “It wasn’t the same soup I had as a kid,” Peter concluded, “but it was a damn good soup just the same.”David Gould is a visiting associate professor at the University of Iowa’s Public Policy Center. Full Article Guest Columnist
pandemic Celebrity content marketing lessons from a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 18:48:21 PDT When it comes to content marketing, we live in extraordinary times. With cutting-edge tools such as live video, VR and AI at our fingertips, we can give our community behind-the-scenes access to our company, people and products. We can showcase our best customers and bring our brands to life.But what if your business had to close all of its physical locations? What if your people couldn’t go anywhere? And what if your community was distracted by ... something? Not a little something. A very big, pandemic-level something.These are the questions that content marketers find themselves grappling with in the midst of COVID-19. In the blink of an eye, we went from having the tools to do anything to a hobbling array of limitations. At least, that’s what it can feel like. But what if we flipped that thinking the other way? Twitter co-founder Biz Stone once said, “Constraints inspire creativity. When are backs are against the wall, we come up with some amazing things.” Where can we look for inspiration? If you flip the through the opening pages of that famed marketing handbook “Us Weekly” — hey, what else is there to look at in a waiting room? — you’ll find a section titled, “Stars — They’re Just Like Us!” These pages feature celebrities doing “regular people” things such as walking down the street and getting groceries. However, these days, despite their fame and means, celebrities have our same quarantined constraints. And some are using this as an opportunity to create some amazing content of their own.During this odd interlude, we can learn some valuable content marketing lessons from celebrities working within these same limitations. Create what your audience is looking forActor John Krasinski didn’t start a weekly web show in the middle of a pandemic to mug to the camera like his character Jim Halpert from “The Office.” Nor did he do it tout his Jack Ryan action-hero status. Instead, in the midst of all of the bad news, he saw that what many people were hungry for was some good news. And that’s literally what he’s delivered with his aptly titled video series, “Some Good News” or “SGN.”Featuring homemade title cards crafted by his children and set in his home office, Krasinski’s weekly show features a roundup of happy stories about creative kids, salutes to health care workers, unique ways to celebrate graduates and more. He also has concise weather reports from the likes Robert DeNiro and Brad Pitt. While special appearances from famous friends might be out of your reach, you, too, can find ways to serve up more of what your audience needs right now. Note: This might not necessarily be exactly what you sell. Ask yourself instead, what do they really need right now and how can we help? For example, Don’t Panic Management is a team of virtual assistants. However, they saw that the small businesses they serve need help applying for government relief programs, so they started creating content around this.Homemade content can be relevant, specialOn a recent episode of his WTF podcast, host Marc Maron talked about watching episodes of “Saturday Night Live At Home,” saying these shows were “touching.” With segments shot by various individual cast members at home on their laptops and phones and featuring costumes from closets and cameos from kids and pets, SNL “At Home” shows how you can push our quarantined limitations to produce creative content.In a recent episode, cast member Kate McKinnon shot an installment of her long-running “Whiskers R We” cat adoption sketch at home on her phone. Normally, this would feature several cute cats in studio introduced as McKinnon quips things like, “A cat is a smile with hair.” The “At Home” installment features McKinnon in a homemade version of her costume with hand-drawn signs and her one pet cat playing nearly a dozen cats thanks to camera filters, mustaches and face masks. SNL initially announced it would end their season early due to COVID-19. A few weeks later, the cast came back with their first “At Home” show. They recognized the power of the moment and the outsized impact homemade content can have. Another example of relevant, homemade branded content is a new ad from L’Oreal Paris, with spokeswoman Eva Longoria dying her gray roots at home in a video she shot on her iPhone. When you get hung up trying to make something polished and perfect, you often miss the opportunity to make something relevant and special. Get creative with collaboration Another SNL “At Home” sketch introduces characters struggling with the new normal of Zoom meetings shot with — wait for it — Zoom! The recent “Parks and Recreation” reunion special developed an entire half-hour script around a series of virtual meetings between Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and others, all shot at home by the actors using iPhones. We can use the same tools we rely on for virtual meetings to collaborate with others on content. Many already use Zoom and Skype for podcasts and videos. You also can get creative in your content collaboration as actor and stunt professional Zoë Bell did. She challenged celebrity friends such as Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Drew Barrymore, Rosario Dawson and Zoe Saldana to help her stage an elaborate fight scene. The resulting video stitches together individually shot fight scenes from the phones of 38 different actors and stunt workers to create one big knockout fight. The viral video garnered over a million views in just a few short days.Just because we can’t get together doesn’t mean we can’t collaborate. Whether you’re simply using Zoom or storyboarding out something more elaborate, involving others always expands the reach of your content. Yes, the content creators profiled here are celebrities. But they’re also more than that. They’re creative artists and problem solvers. A frequent refrain in the early days of blogging and content marketing was, “think like a publisher.” This served as a reminder to write like a journalist, schedule content and publish regularly. However, with our current lockdown limitations, we should amend this as a reminder to think like creative artists — those who’ve used these limitations to spark bold, interesting new ideas for connecting with others. What can you create that people need? Can you do it right now — today? From home? Can you creatively involve others? Thinking like a creative artist means focusing less on what you can’t do in these unusual times and more on what you can.Nick Westergaard is a marketing strategist, keynote speaker and author of “Band Now” and “Get Scrappy”; nick@branddrivendigital.com; @NickWestergaard. Full Article Business
pandemic Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries: Celebrating during a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:10:23 PDT A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin.For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries shared through a window.Employees at Bickford of Marion, the assisted living and memory care center where Hoskins is a resident, surprised the couple with the anniversary gift on May 1. Despite the current coronavirus-related mitigation practices, the staff had created a special moment for the couple, who have been partners for 24 years. Daggett burst into tears as employees played their wedding song — Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.”“It just touched my soul,” Daggett said.Across the state, moments like this are relegated through windows or over a phone call. As the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the country, long-term care facilities have locked down in an effort to keep residents healthy, which means their families are no longer able to hug their loved ones, or sit with them in their rooms.For many families, the feelings at such times this time are conflicted. Typical Mother’s Day celebrations have been placed on hold, and recent milestones have been missed by those living in long-term care facilities. Simple visits through windows feel distant.“Those are the moments you remember and you miss,” said Daggett, recalling memories of visits to Bickford of Marion from Hoskins’s grandchildren and family gatherings during the holidays. Hoskins, who has dementia, has been a resident at Bickford since August 2019.“The pandemic has taken this away,” Daggett said.But beyond this new dynamic with which family members are left to grapple, they also have the constant worry that their loved one could fall ill.So far, Bickford of Marion has not seen any cases.“Every time you read about another outbreak — whether it’s close to home or anywhere in the country — it brings home how fortunate we are so far,” said Matt Hoskins, Liz Hoskin’s son. “I can’t imagine the anxiety the residents and staff are having once it breaks through the wall.”As of Friday, 29 long-term care facilities across the state, which includes skilled nursing facilities and senior living centers, among others — have reported outbreaks of COVID-19 among hundreds of their staff and residents.As a result, for some Iowans, that fear has become a reality.‘I have to trust’Ruth Brackett’s son Jamie Degner, a 38-year-old resident at Harmony House Health Care Center in Waterloo, tested positive for COVID-19 this past week.Degner, who has severe autism and intellectual disabilities, has been a resident there since he was 15 years old.More than 60 residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at Harmony House, an intermediate care facility. It’s one of two long-term care facilities in Black Hawk County reporting an outbreak, defined as three or more positive tests among residents.Degner received his test results on Tuesday. He’s had lower-than-normal oxygen levels, but otherwise has recorded his usual vital signs and has not experienced symptoms.Brackett said it is “unbelievably difficult to not be able to go be with him through this.”As with many facilities across the state, Harmony House closed its doors to visitors in early March, when the first cases of COVID-19 began being reported across Iowa and the nation. Brackett said her son’s cognitive abilities make it impossible for him to understand that she is unable to visit because she might make him sick, so the staff instead tell Degner his mom is “at work.” While she’s optimistic he’ll improve, Brackett worries whether Degner’s virus would take a turn for the worse. “It’s tough because I have to trust” the staff, Brackett said. “There’s nothing I can do, so I can’t spend a lot of time dwelling on what I might do differently.”The families that spoke to The Gazette believe the leadership at long-term care facilities are doing what they can to keep its residents safe and healthy. At Bickford of Marion, officials have taken the unique step of promising public transparency of possible COVID-19 cases in its facility. On the website of every Bickford location is a feature recording the number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.“Whether it’s COVID-19 or not, we want to be transparent with families about their loved ones’ care,” Bickford of Marion Executive Director Jacobi Feckers said. “I don’t know why other nursing homes haven’t taken that step because I haven’t spoken to other facilities, but I’m thankful that’s the route we’ve taken.”It’s not just families who are placing their trust in management. Ron Moore is an independent living resident at Cottage Grove Place, one of the largest senior living centers in Cedar Rapids that has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 this past week. According to the latest data from public health officials, five residents and staff there have tested positive.The outbreak originated in the skilled nursing unit, and officials said they are working to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to the assisted-living and independent-living portions of the facility. They restricted movement between the facilities and conduct frequent temperature checks of staff.So far, the general feeling among residents at Cottage Grove Place’s independent-living housing is that management has “done a good job” of controlling exposure.“The feelings of the residents here are positive,” Moore said. “They appreciate what management has done to protect us.”‘Any opportunity to celebrate’Still, life looks much differently at Cottage Grove Place. Moore said his schedule typically is packed with weekly book clubs and coffees with friends. Now he and his wife take walks, or try to connect with friends over email.“I’ve found (residents) are not depressed at this time,” he said. “But in the future, if this goes on for many months? My prediction is yes, depression will be a serious thing.”Local senior living centers have come up with unique ways to allow visitors to see their loved ones. Gina Hausknecht, a 55-year-old Iowa City resident, was able to see her mother in person for the first time in weeks after her assisted-living home, Oaknoll Retirement Community in Iowa City, created a “drive up” visit option this past weekend. While Hausknecht sat in the car, she was able to speak with her mother, 93-year-old Ellen Hausknecht, for an hour outside the facility. Before this, it had been emotionally difficult for Hausknecht not to see her mom weekly as she usually does“It sunk in that I don’t know when I’m going to see my mom again, and that felt really terrible,” Hausknecht previously told The Gazette.Hausknecht said she hopes to take this year’s Mother’s Day as an opportunity to do something special, particularly given the difficult past few weeks.“Our family isn’t super-big on these kinds of holidays but we do like to acknowledge them, and this year it feels important to take hold of any opportunity to celebrate,” she said.Other facilities, including Bickford of Marion, also have eased restrictions on sending food and gifts to residents in time for Mother’s Day. Matt Hoskins, Liz’s Hoskins’ son, said the family’s usual Mother’s Day plans are impossible this year, so they hope to send Liz’s Hoskins artwork from her grandchildren along with other gifts. Brackett, who will be apart from her son Degner this year, said she hadn’t planned anything for the holiday. She looks forward to her first in-person visit with him after the pandemic, when she will bring his favorite meal from McDonald’s and a new deck of Phase 10 cards. Despite the feelings of being separated, their wedding anniversary on May 1 likely is something Daggett will cherish, she said. With Daggett acting as Hoskins caregiver since her dementia diagnosis in 2016, their wedding anniversary has been something the couple hasn’t celebrated in a significant way in some time, she said.But that worry still creeps in the back of her mind. Daggett said she’s trying to remain “as confident as anyone can at this point.”“I learned a long time ago you can’t worry about what you can’t control,” Daggett said. “But does that mean I still wake up at 2 in the morning worried about it? Of course I do.”Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com Full Article Health
pandemic A Viget Exploration: How Tech Can Help in a Pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:49:00 -0400 Viget Explorations have always been the result of our shared curiosities. They’re usually a spontaneous outcome of team downtime and a shared problem we’ve experienced. We use our Explorations to pursue our diverse interests and contribute to the conversations about building a better digital world. As the COVID-19 crisis emerged, we were certainly experiencing a shared problem. As a way to keep busy and manage our anxieties, a small team came together to dive into how technology has helped, and, unfortunately, hindered the community response to the current pandemic. Privia Medical Group Telehealth Native Apps We started by researching the challenges we saw: information overload, a lack of clarity, individual responsibility, and change. Then we brainstormed possible technical solutions that could further improve how communities respond to a pandemic. Click here to see our Exploration on some possible ways to take the panic out of pandemics. While we aren’t currently pursuing the solutions outlined in the Exploration, we’d love to hear what you think about these approaches, as well as any ideas you have for how technology can help address the outlined challenges. Please note, this Exploration doesn’t provide medical information. Visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for current information and COVID-19, its symptoms, and treatments. At Viget, we’re adjusting to this crisis for the safety of our clients, our staff, and our communities. If you’d like to hear from Viget's co-founder, Brian Williams, you can read his article on our response to the situation. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic Pandemic Poetry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:44:00 -0400 Viget is replete with literature enthusiasts. We have a book club, blog posts about said book club, and a #poetry channel on Slack for sharing Wendell Berry and Emily Dickinson. Before the pandemic it saw only occasional activity. That was until our Employee Engagement Manager, Aubrey Lear, popped up one day with a proposal: a month-long haiku challenge. (Hat tip to Nicole Gulotta for the excellent prompts.) Haikus have long been beloved by Vigets. (In fact we have a #haiku channel too, but all the action tends to go down in #poetry.) There’s something about the form’s constraints, pithiness, and symmetry that appeals to us — a bunch of creatives, developers, and strategists who value elegant solutions. What we didn’t know was that a haiku-a-thon would also become a highlight of our very, very many Work From Home days. For my part, writing haikus has become a charming distraction from worry. When I find my brain fidgeting over Covid-19 what-if scenarios, I set it a task. 5-7-5. Stack those syllables up, break ‘em down. How far can I push the confines of that structure? Where should the line breaks be? One run-on sentence? Find a punchline? It’s a nice little bit of syntactic Tetris. It stops me going down mental rabbit holes — a palette-cleansing exercise after a day’s bad news. Then there’s the getting-to-know-you benefit that comes from Vigets sharing their daily haikus, each interpreting the prompts differently, offering a unique and condensed take on things common to us all. There’s Elyse with her gorgeous personification of household objects: Around the House The small tea kettle is now forming a union. She demands more pay. Or Laura, musing on the mundane things we miss: Something you long for strolling up and down the aisles, browsing away wonder everywherejust taking my time tossing products in my cart ye olde target run Josh’s odes are always a pick-me-up: Nourishing Meal O orange powder On mac, Doritos, Cheetos Finger-licking gewd.While Grace’s are thoughtful and profound: Thoughts while Driving Tis human nature We struggle to grasp the weight Till it’s upon usThere’s Peyton, with his humorous wordplay: Plant Friends Plant friends everywhere Watch them grow from far away Then come back to themPlant friends everywhere Water them with Zooms and calls They’ll water you tooAnd Claire, who grounds us in reality: While folding laundry gym shorts and sports bras mostly what I’m folding now goodbye skirts and jeans Kate is sparky: Lighting a candle lighter fluid thrills fingertips quiver, recoil fire takes hold within While I find the whole thing cathartic: Breath Old friend — with me since birth — whom I seldom take time to appreciate. Our first #30daysfohaikuchallenge is over now, so we’ve decided to start another. Won’t you join us? Prompts are below and you can share your haiku in the comments. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
pandemic A Viget Exploration: How Tech Can Help in a Pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:49:00 -0400 Viget Explorations have always been the result of our shared curiosities. They’re usually a spontaneous outcome of team downtime and a shared problem we’ve experienced. We use our Explorations to pursue our diverse interests and contribute to the conversations about building a better digital world. As the COVID-19 crisis emerged, we were certainly experiencing a shared problem. As a way to keep busy and manage our anxieties, a small team came together to dive into how technology has helped, and, unfortunately, hindered the community response to the current pandemic. Privia Medical Group Telehealth Native Apps We started by researching the challenges we saw: information overload, a lack of clarity, individual responsibility, and change. Then we brainstormed possible technical solutions that could further improve how communities respond to a pandemic. Click here to see our Exploration on some possible ways to take the panic out of pandemics. While we aren’t currently pursuing the solutions outlined in the Exploration, we’d love to hear what you think about these approaches, as well as any ideas you have for how technology can help address the outlined challenges. Please note, this Exploration doesn’t provide medical information. Visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for current information and COVID-19, its symptoms, and treatments. At Viget, we’re adjusting to this crisis for the safety of our clients, our staff, and our communities. If you’d like to hear from Viget's co-founder, Brian Williams, you can read his article on our response to the situation. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic Pandemic Poetry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:44:00 -0400 Viget is replete with literature enthusiasts. We have a book club, blog posts about said book club, and a #poetry channel on Slack for sharing Wendell Berry and Emily Dickinson. Before the pandemic it saw only occasional activity. That was until our Employee Engagement Manager, Aubrey Lear, popped up one day with a proposal: a month-long haiku challenge. (Hat tip to Nicole Gulotta for the excellent prompts.) Haikus have long been beloved by Vigets. (In fact we have a #haiku channel too, but all the action tends to go down in #poetry.) There’s something about the form’s constraints, pithiness, and symmetry that appeals to us — a bunch of creatives, developers, and strategists who value elegant solutions. What we didn’t know was that a haiku-a-thon would also become a highlight of our very, very many Work From Home days. For my part, writing haikus has become a charming distraction from worry. When I find my brain fidgeting over Covid-19 what-if scenarios, I set it a task. 5-7-5. Stack those syllables up, break ‘em down. How far can I push the confines of that structure? Where should the line breaks be? One run-on sentence? Find a punchline? It’s a nice little bit of syntactic Tetris. It stops me going down mental rabbit holes — a palette-cleansing exercise after a day’s bad news. Then there’s the getting-to-know-you benefit that comes from Vigets sharing their daily haikus, each interpreting the prompts differently, offering a unique and condensed take on things common to us all. There’s Elyse with her gorgeous personification of household objects: Around the House The small tea kettle is now forming a union. She demands more pay. Or Laura, musing on the mundane things we miss: Something you long for strolling up and down the aisles, browsing away wonder everywherejust taking my time tossing products in my cart ye olde target run Josh’s odes are always a pick-me-up: Nourishing Meal O orange powder On mac, Doritos, Cheetos Finger-licking gewd.While Grace’s are thoughtful and profound: Thoughts while Driving Tis human nature We struggle to grasp the weight Till it’s upon usThere’s Peyton, with his humorous wordplay: Plant Friends Plant friends everywhere Watch them grow from far away Then come back to themPlant friends everywhere Water them with Zooms and calls They’ll water you tooAnd Claire, who grounds us in reality: While folding laundry gym shorts and sports bras mostly what I’m folding now goodbye skirts and jeans Kate is sparky: Lighting a candle lighter fluid thrills fingertips quiver, recoil fire takes hold within While I find the whole thing cathartic: Breath Old friend — with me since birth — whom I seldom take time to appreciate. Our first #30daysfohaikuchallenge is over now, so we’ve decided to start another. Won’t you join us? Prompts are below and you can share your haiku in the comments. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
pandemic Pandemic Creativity: Edible Versions of Famous Artworks By kottke.org Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:56:00 PDT https://kottke.org/20/05/pandemic-creativity-edible-versions-of-famous-artworks Full Article
pandemic Coronavirus pandemic could inflict emotional trauma and PTSD on an unprecedented scale, scientists warn By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 14:41:58 EDT Researchers are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could inflict long-lasting emotional trauma on an unprecedented global scale. They say it could leave millions wrestling with debilitating psychological disorders while dashing hopes for a swift economic recovery. Full Article
pandemic What a trauma and PTSD psychologist tells us about dealing with the coronavirus pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 13 Apr 2020 10:30:30 EDT We’re all experiencing varying levels of trauma. Full Article
pandemic Could you get PTSD from your pandemic experience? The long-term mental health effects of coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 10:10:58 EDT Experiencing intense flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, anger, and fear? In the face of a traumatic event like the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s common to feel this way. Full Article
pandemic My PTSD can be a weight. But in this pandemic, it feels like a superpower. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 10:44:28 EDT For the first time, it seems, the entire world knows what it’s like to live inside my head. Full Article
pandemic Could you get PTSD from your pandemic experience? The long-term mental health effects of coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, April 20, 2020 - 10:10am Experiencing intense flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, anger, and fear? In the face of a traumatic event like the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s common to feel this way. Full Article
pandemic My PTSD can be a weight. But in this pandemic, it feels like a superpower. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Friday, May 1, 2020 - 10:44am For the first time, it seems, the entire world knows what it’s like to live inside my head. Full Article
pandemic How to Grow Your Sales and Leads During the Coronavirus Pandemic By justcreative.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 10:16:17 +0000 Try these 10 actionable steps for streamlined, cost-effective marketing during the lockdown. Shed costs and embrace innovation to drive leads and conversions. Full Article Blogging & Content Marketing Guest Articles Content Marketing Marketing
pandemic A Viget Exploration: How Tech Can Help in a Pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:49:00 -0400 Viget Explorations have always been the result of our shared curiosities. They’re usually a spontaneous outcome of team downtime and a shared problem we’ve experienced. We use our Explorations to pursue our diverse interests and contribute to the conversations about building a better digital world. As the COVID-19 crisis emerged, we were certainly experiencing a shared problem. As a way to keep busy and manage our anxieties, a small team came together to dive into how technology has helped, and, unfortunately, hindered the community response to the current pandemic. Privia Medical Group Telehealth Native Apps We started by researching the challenges we saw: information overload, a lack of clarity, individual responsibility, and change. Then we brainstormed possible technical solutions that could further improve how communities respond to a pandemic. Click here to see our Exploration on some possible ways to take the panic out of pandemics. While we aren’t currently pursuing the solutions outlined in the Exploration, we’d love to hear what you think about these approaches, as well as any ideas you have for how technology can help address the outlined challenges. Please note, this Exploration doesn’t provide medical information. Visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for current information and COVID-19, its symptoms, and treatments. At Viget, we’re adjusting to this crisis for the safety of our clients, our staff, and our communities. If you’d like to hear from Viget's co-founder, Brian Williams, you can read his article on our response to the situation. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic Pandemic Poetry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:44:00 -0400 Viget is replete with literature enthusiasts. We have a book club, blog posts about said book club, and a #poetry channel on Slack for sharing Wendell Berry and Emily Dickinson. Before the pandemic it saw only occasional activity. That was until our Employee Engagement Manager, Aubrey Lear, popped up one day with a proposal: a month-long haiku challenge. (Hat tip to Nicole Gulotta for the excellent prompts.) Haikus have long been beloved by Vigets. (In fact we have a #haiku channel too, but all the action tends to go down in #poetry.) There’s something about the form’s constraints, pithiness, and symmetry that appeals to us — a bunch of creatives, developers, and strategists who value elegant solutions. What we didn’t know was that a haiku-a-thon would also become a highlight of our very, very many Work From Home days. For my part, writing haikus has become a charming distraction from worry. When I find my brain fidgeting over Covid-19 what-if scenarios, I set it a task. 5-7-5. Stack those syllables up, break ‘em down. How far can I push the confines of that structure? Where should the line breaks be? One run-on sentence? Find a punchline? It’s a nice little bit of syntactic Tetris. It stops me going down mental rabbit holes — a palette-cleansing exercise after a day’s bad news. Then there’s the getting-to-know-you benefit that comes from Vigets sharing their daily haikus, each interpreting the prompts differently, offering a unique and condensed take on things common to us all. There’s Elyse with her gorgeous personification of household objects: Around the House The small tea kettle is now forming a union. She demands more pay. Or Laura, musing on the mundane things we miss: Something you long for strolling up and down the aisles, browsing away wonder everywherejust taking my time tossing products in my cart ye olde target run Josh’s odes are always a pick-me-up: Nourishing Meal O orange powder On mac, Doritos, Cheetos Finger-licking gewd.While Grace’s are thoughtful and profound: Thoughts while Driving Tis human nature We struggle to grasp the weight Till it’s upon usThere’s Peyton, with his humorous wordplay: Plant Friends Plant friends everywhere Watch them grow from far away Then come back to themPlant friends everywhere Water them with Zooms and calls They’ll water you tooAnd Claire, who grounds us in reality: While folding laundry gym shorts and sports bras mostly what I’m folding now goodbye skirts and jeans Kate is sparky: Lighting a candle lighter fluid thrills fingertips quiver, recoil fire takes hold within While I find the whole thing cathartic: Breath Old friend — with me since birth — whom I seldom take time to appreciate. Our first #30daysfohaikuchallenge is over now, so we’ve decided to start another. Won’t you join us? Prompts are below and you can share your haiku in the comments. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
pandemic Could you get PTSD from your pandemic experience? The long-term mental health effects of coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, April 20, 2020 - 10:10am Experiencing intense flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, anger, and fear? In the face of a traumatic event like the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s common to feel this way. Full Article
pandemic My PTSD can be a weight. But in this pandemic, it feels like a superpower. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Friday, May 1, 2020 - 10:44am For the first time, it seems, the entire world knows what it’s like to live inside my head. Full Article
pandemic Video Shows a Man Screaming 'Fake Pandemic' at a Florida Officer By feeds.drudge.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:30:37 -0400 A nearly two-minute, profanity-laced tirade at a code officer at a Miami Beach grocery store is the latest example of mounting tensions in the US over wearing masks to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Full Article news
pandemic A Viget Exploration: How Tech Can Help in a Pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:49:00 -0400 Viget Explorations have always been the result of our shared curiosities. They’re usually a spontaneous outcome of team downtime and a shared problem we’ve experienced. We use our Explorations to pursue our diverse interests and contribute to the conversations about building a better digital world. As the COVID-19 crisis emerged, we were certainly experiencing a shared problem. As a way to keep busy and manage our anxieties, a small team came together to dive into how technology has helped, and, unfortunately, hindered the community response to the current pandemic. Privia Medical Group Telehealth Native Apps We started by researching the challenges we saw: information overload, a lack of clarity, individual responsibility, and change. Then we brainstormed possible technical solutions that could further improve how communities respond to a pandemic. Click here to see our Exploration on some possible ways to take the panic out of pandemics. While we aren’t currently pursuing the solutions outlined in the Exploration, we’d love to hear what you think about these approaches, as well as any ideas you have for how technology can help address the outlined challenges. Please note, this Exploration doesn’t provide medical information. Visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for current information and COVID-19, its symptoms, and treatments. At Viget, we’re adjusting to this crisis for the safety of our clients, our staff, and our communities. If you’d like to hear from Viget's co-founder, Brian Williams, you can read his article on our response to the situation. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic Pandemic Poetry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:44:00 -0400 Viget is replete with literature enthusiasts. We have a book club, blog posts about said book club, and a #poetry channel on Slack for sharing Wendell Berry and Emily Dickinson. Before the pandemic it saw only occasional activity. That was until our Employee Engagement Manager, Aubrey Lear, popped up one day with a proposal: a month-long haiku challenge. (Hat tip to Nicole Gulotta for the excellent prompts.) Haikus have long been beloved by Vigets. (In fact we have a #haiku channel too, but all the action tends to go down in #poetry.) There’s something about the form’s constraints, pithiness, and symmetry that appeals to us — a bunch of creatives, developers, and strategists who value elegant solutions. What we didn’t know was that a haiku-a-thon would also become a highlight of our very, very many Work From Home days. For my part, writing haikus has become a charming distraction from worry. When I find my brain fidgeting over Covid-19 what-if scenarios, I set it a task. 5-7-5. Stack those syllables up, break ‘em down. How far can I push the confines of that structure? Where should the line breaks be? One run-on sentence? Find a punchline? It’s a nice little bit of syntactic Tetris. It stops me going down mental rabbit holes — a palette-cleansing exercise after a day’s bad news. Then there’s the getting-to-know-you benefit that comes from Vigets sharing their daily haikus, each interpreting the prompts differently, offering a unique and condensed take on things common to us all. There’s Elyse with her gorgeous personification of household objects: Around the House The small tea kettle is now forming a union. She demands more pay. Or Laura, musing on the mundane things we miss: Something you long for strolling up and down the aisles, browsing away wonder everywherejust taking my time tossing products in my cart ye olde target run Josh’s odes are always a pick-me-up: Nourishing Meal O orange powder On mac, Doritos, Cheetos Finger-licking gewd.While Grace’s are thoughtful and profound: Thoughts while Driving Tis human nature We struggle to grasp the weight Till it’s upon usThere’s Peyton, with his humorous wordplay: Plant Friends Plant friends everywhere Watch them grow from far away Then come back to themPlant friends everywhere Water them with Zooms and calls They’ll water you tooAnd Claire, who grounds us in reality: While folding laundry gym shorts and sports bras mostly what I’m folding now goodbye skirts and jeans Kate is sparky: Lighting a candle lighter fluid thrills fingertips quiver, recoil fire takes hold within While I find the whole thing cathartic: Breath Old friend — with me since birth — whom I seldom take time to appreciate. Our first #30daysfohaikuchallenge is over now, so we’ve decided to start another. Won’t you join us? Prompts are below and you can share your haiku in the comments. Full Article News & Culture
pandemic A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
pandemic Regional summer camps hope the pandemic doesn't put activities on pause, but have backup plans ready if it does By www.inlander.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:00:00 -0700 [IMAGE-1]After having their school year totally disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, a return to some semblance of normalcy come summer is all many school-age kids and their families are looking forward to. For many, this anticipation includes annual summer camp traditions, from sleep-away adventures on the lake to fun-filled day camps for arts, learning or team sports.… Full Article Summer Camps
pandemic A musical ray of sunshine during the pandemic: X has a new album out today By www.inlander.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:17:34 -0700 Pardon the interruption for a little fanboy boosterism, but one of my favorite all-time bands surprise-dropped a brand new album on Bandcamp today, and damned if I'm not going to tell you to go listen to it. The band is X, pioneering Los Angeles legends who helped establish the West Coast punk scene in the late '70s and early '80s with a sound that was rooted in American rock's roots.… Full Article Music News
pandemic Stitches in Time: How making fabric face masks is helping me deal with the pandemic By www.inlander.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 12:31:00 -0700 Sewing is my new coping mechanism.… Full Article Arts & Culture
pandemic Spokane Symphony launches Musicians' Relief Fund to help local classical stars survive the pandemic By www.inlander.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 16:09:00 -0700 You might not know it from the fancy attire they wear on stage at the Fox Theater, but for the musicians in the Spokane Symphony, it's a part-time gig. It's a prestigious gig, to be sure, but like most artists, for the musicians, it's just one piece of a puzzle full of hustle they have to solve to make a living.… Full Article Arts & Culture
pandemic Spokane groups create fund to help undocumented families during pandemic By www.inlander.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:04:10 -0700 A coalition of immigrant-focused organizations has created the Spokane Relief Fund for Undocumented Immigrants, in order to help families who are unable to access federal aid during the coronavirus shutdowns. The partners sponsoring the work include the Spokane Immigrant Rights Coalition (SIRC), the Hispanic Business and Professional Association, Latinos en Spokane, Mujeres in Action and Raiz.… Full Article News/Local News
pandemic What if They Held a Pandemic (And A Rent Strike Broke Out Instead?) By www.eastbayexpress.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 01:00:00 -0700 Prepare for a May Day like no other. When Bay Area counties imposed stay-at-home orders to limit the COVID-19 epidemic, Richmond resident Blanca Retano lost her job as a parent educator at an elementary school. Her husband, a chef, had his hours cut to nine a week.… Full Article Feature
pandemic How to Bike Shop in a Pandemic By www.eastbayexpress.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 01:00:00 -0700 You may not yet be able to bike to work, but that's all the more reason to embrace cycling Buying a bicycle has always been a life-changing experience for many, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can bring a heightened sense of freedom and control to one's life. Lydia Felt was previously too terrified to ride a bicycle on roadways.… Full Article News & Opinion/News
pandemic Concerns raised over Southampton GP appointments drop due to coronavirus pandemic By www.dailyecho.co.uk Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 05:00:00 +0100 SOUTHAMPTON GP surgeries have seen a significant drop in appointments due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Full Article
pandemic NC Lawmakers Meet For A Historic Pandemic Session By www.wunc.org Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:47:01 +0000 North Carolina lawmakers gaveled in Tuesday for a legislative session unlike any other — their first since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state. Full Article
pandemic Big Stories. Small Budgets. Here’s What Journalists Are Dealing With During The Pandemic By www.wunc.org Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 16:12:48 +0000 As death tolls rise, new testing information surfaces and doctors race to find a vaccine for COVID-19, breaking news is not in short supply. Full Article
pandemic Friday Feature: Providing A Helping Hand; Needing A Helping Hand During COVID-19 Pandemic By www.wncw.org Published On :: Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:15:26 +0000 Guests of this Friday Feature Interview of the Week were Megan Robinson, Executive Director of the Western NC American Red Cross and United Way of Greenville County, SC Executive Director Megan Barp. Both agencies are important, year-round organizations, with staff/volunteers that want to offer support and services, especially during the coronavirus crisis. However, these groups could use additional volunteers and donors to achieve full capacity. This conversation first aired on April 3, 2020. Posted by Host and Producer of The Friday Feature- Paul Foster, WNCW Senior Producer, News Director, and Morning Edition Regional Host Full Article
pandemic Logan County Sheriff Laying Off Employees Amid COVID-19 Pandemic By www.wcbe.org Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 08:57:43 +0000 Logan County Sheriff Randall Dodds says he is laying off 21 staffers, includuing deputies and jail guards starting on May 2. Full Article
