1) Working with strangers
I am slowly becoming addicted to “study with me” and “work with me” videos on YouTube. I really struggle with focus, especially in the afternoons, and I’ve tried so many different productivity methods to help me stay on task and get shit done. Most of these videos use the Pomodoro Technique, which is my favorite productivity method, but I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. But for the past few weeks, when I have a long stretch of work ahead of me without meetings, I’ve pulled up one of these videos and gotten to work. And it really does help me focus! These videos usually have someone either studying or working at a desk (and their surroundings are usually #goals) with soft, ambient music playing in the background and a timer on the screen. You might hear sounds like keyboard tapping, papers shuffling, or pen scratches, so it also satisfies the ASMR part of my brain. I don’t know why they work so well for me, but I’ve become addicted and wanted to pass along this tip to anyone else who may struggle with focus! (I think it would come in clutch for people with ADHD!)
2) Hermit time
Bri and I were supposed to meet up on Sunday afternoon to record a few episodes of our podcast. After getting way ahead in our recording schedule, we are suddenly at a place where we have no episodes ready to go in the queue. Eeps! So, I spent Friday and Saturday working diligently on our outlines and preparing for a few hours of recording time on Sunday afternoon. And then Saturday night happened, and I got the worst night of sleep I’ve had in a really long time. My Oura app was very worried about me. (I should note that I went to bed at 11 p.m., but didn’t fall asleep until 2:30 a.m., sigh.)
I also started my period and was not feeling all that great. I sent Bri a message about how things were going for me that morning, and she told me to do what feels best, whether we record later in the day or skip it entirely. I sat with myself and thought about what I really wanted, and to nobody’s surprise, it was to stay home and hermit. I didn’t want to pack up my things and make the 25-minute drive to Bri’s house, and while being with Bri and recording our podcast isn’t a huge emotional lift for me, it’s still something to do. And I really didn’t want to do anything, much less try to be chipper on the mic. So, even though it meant we wouldn’t have an episode to release on time, I stayed home, and we rescheduled our recording date. Womp, womp. We’ll only miss one episode, though, as we’re getting together next weekend to record, so all will be okay. No episode this Tuesday, but we will be back in your feeds on August 18th!
3) The steroid taper that wasn’t
Ughhhhhh. I was doing so well with my steroid taper. Or at least, physically, I felt like I was. Last week, I dropped down to 4mg, which would be the last test to see if I could officially stop taking steroids, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Over the weekend, I started experiencing pain that I haven’t had to deal with in months. It hurt to stand up, it hurt to cross my legs, it hurt to grip things, and it hurt to get out of bed in the morning. I told myself that if I woke up on Sunday with my shoulder hurting, then I knew it was time to talk to my rheumatologist. Sure enough, I woke up on Sunday with the same annoying shoulder pain that took forever to respond to meds. At least I was able to see how much those steroids have been helping my pain! (And also how little methotrexate has been helping – the pain definitely wasn’t as bad as before I started treatment, but it was getting there.) I talked to my rheum, who wants me to go back to 8mg for the next few weeks, and then try tapering down again after I’ve had two doses of my new med.
Speaking of my new med, it finally arrived this week so I can start the next stage of my treatment journey. Hurrah! I definitely feel precious about these syringes, though, because each one is at least a thousand dollars without insurance. Liquid gold, baby!
4) Another three years of blogging
I always forget that I have to pay blog hosting fees. I only pay them every three years, and it’s always quite the hit to the ol’ pocketbook. This year, the hit was substantial because HostGator wanted me to upgrade to one of their more expensive plans based on the size of my website. Ughhhh. Rude! I need to start a sinking fund for these fees, so I’m not surprised when 2029 rolls around and HostGator comes asking for money again. But hey, this means I’m dedicated to another three years of blogging so I get my money’s worth! You’re welcome?
5) Weekend plans
I don’t have too much happening this weekend! Today, I have a massage scheduled at 5 p.m. Tomorrow, I have game night with the fam. And Sunday, my mom and I might take the dogs for their semi-weekly dog park visit. Next weekend is going to be super busy, so I’m happy to have a low-key weekend ahead of me.
How do you stay focused at work?
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