Growing up in California, Earth Day was almost guaranteed to be a day of sunshine, green hills, and flowers in full bloom — but in New York City, “guaranteed weather” is as much of an oxymoron as a “100% chance.” Spring weather in New York City is always a fun guessing game. Within hours you can go from a windy 37F to a torrential downpour to 66F and sunny. And I’m not saying this just to make a point; this happened last Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, there is a direct correlation between the weather and my ability to overcome burnout during a global pandemic. Allow me to explain.
Like many these days, my entire day — where I sleep, eat, work, relax, and use the bathroom — is conducted all within my home, which in my case also happens to be 500 square feet. Needless to say, participating in an activity outside of those 500 square feet is an absolute thrill; a five-minute walk around the block becomes the highlight of my day. I look forward to planning any little time I have outside, but I am at the mercy of New York City’s unpredictable weather. At the drop of a hat, my daily “thrill” is no more, and it’s back to my rinse and repeat routine.
With so much of the workforce working from home, time outdoors is sparse, making April 22nd, Earth Day, all that more important. However, this year, April 22nd not only commemorated Earth Day, but it also happened to be Take Your Child to Work Day in the United States. Take Your Child to Work Day is a unique American tradition where parents or caregivers can bring their children or young loved ones to work with them. It gives kids exposure to adult life and the adults a much-needed reprieve from their typical workday. Given the serendipitous nature of these events occurring on the same day, LiveIntent took the opportunity to surprise employees with a fun twist to celebrate the occasion.
LiveIntent coined April 23rd as “Take Your Loved Ones Out of Work Day” and decided to instill a shutdown of all of our offices around the globe. Instead of following our usual schedules, LiveIntenters were encouraged to take the day off to recharge and spend time outdoors with their loved ones — be it their pets, partners, children, or themselves. I spent the day masked up in Washington Square Park with a big sandwich and a good book. Colleagues went on hikes with friends, took their kids out for ice cream, and enjoyed the park with their dog.
Burnout is all too real, and even if you’re not able to take time off, try changing up your routine or spending even just a few minutes outside. Bringing your best self to work is beneficial to you and your company — and let’s be honest, we could all have a little more love for ourselves.
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