Throughout our Windows on Wellness series, our lawyers and staff discuss their biggest wellness challenges since the onset of the pandemic, and habits they’ve adopted or resources that have been valuable in improving their mental and physical well-being.

Ayanna Lee, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, reflects on her wellness journey during the pandemic:

As I approach nearly two years into the pandemic and a milestone birthday, I have been reflecting and thinking a lot about my goals for 2022.

Looking back, it’s been a hectic past couple of years: our family moved into a new home, our two children moved to a new school (one of which started kindergarten), and both my husband and I started new roles at work. It was important to maintain some sense of normalcy during a time of so much change, especially for our children who were used to routines. We became more active as a family even though spending an extended amount of time together with just the four of us wasn’t all that new. We hadn’t lived near family for many years so we were quite accustomed to it just being us. One of my fondest memories early in the pandemic was our daily bike rides around our neighborhood and exploring the beautiful grounds of a nearby university. We went on picnics, played board games, took daily walks, and talked a lot. Even though we take less frequent bike rides now that the kids are back in school and have resumed a lot of their after-school activities, we still enjoy plenty of family-time in the evening and on weekends. This remote work period has also allowed my husband and I to be more present for our children’s various activities and performances. We’ve been so grateful for this! It comforts me to know that our children will likely remember all the time we’ve spent together and not the amount of them they’ve spent in masks. Well, hopefully!

As I look forward, one of my main goals is to get back to more regular physical activity. It seemed to have gotten harder to stick to a workout routine once our kids returned to school and many in-person activities resumed. I recently signed up for a virtual fitness class which gives me the flexibility to work out at home when most convenient with my schedule. I was also very selective with the workout program I chose, which had to consist of 15-20 minute workouts, so I would only need to break away for a half hour at a time. This has been the most sustainable option!

For me, wellness has become focusing on those things that bring me joy. In this COVID environment, I try to focus on joy a lot. In the past year, I have enjoyed decorating our new home. Seeing an empty room come to life is so rewarding! It was also exciting to finally welcome family and friends over for dinner and game nights. I also make sure I set aside alone time, even if it’s a few minutes a day, to focus on self-care. Balancing home and work responsibilities can feel overwhelming at times, so focusing on those things that bring me joy has done well to preserve my mental health and better handle daily stressors. Taking time to do the things that I enjoy makes me happier which in turn makes me a better mom, spouse and colleague. Additionally, finding an advocate (could be a family member, circle of friends, colleague, or just someone your trust) has been very beneficial, especially during these times. I’ve been very lucky to have a few.

The most important thing I’ve learned, and try to do more often, is to be easy on myself, and be easy on others. We don’t know what someone else might be going through. A smile and a kind word go a long way. If something didn’t get done that day, that’s ok. We’re carrying a lot more on our shoulders while also having to deal with evolving variants. Give yourself and others some grace.

I am very grateful for the support of my family and close friends. I’m also grateful for the support of my colleagues who have allowed me to take time away from work to decompress and recharge.

I encourage you to take the time you need to take care of yourself and do what brings you joy, even if it’s just simple things. And if you’re still trying to figure that out, that’s ok too, you are not alone. We’re all still trying to figure things out. Remember, we are all in this together.

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