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Dear friends,
Since I last wrote to you, I’ve stepped out into the world several times- I attended two scientific meetings and my college reunion. After all these months of isolation, being with others has been a blessing that has left me mentally overloaded. So, I’m really writing to myself as I process what it has been like to start to re-enter the world professionally.
It’s OK to take breaks. In the Before Times, I scheduled meetings at every break and planned out every meal in advance of a conference to maximize every minute. That strategy, while efficient, no longer works for me. Even though my extroverted disposition means I have lots of energy in the moment, I am not able to take in as much information and stimulation as I did before. I decided to pay attention to my physical signals (tired and headache-y) and my emotional state (dazed) rather than push myself to obtain maximum value for time. You should do the same!
Socializing IS work. I spent a lot of time at the meetings I attended catching up with people, including people at my institution whom I know well. I then questioned whether I should have attended more of the scientific sessions. Ultimately, I decided that attending to professional relationships can only be accomplished in person, and I can find other ways to keep up to speed with the science.
Showing up is the accomplishment. When it comes to being back in the world, it’s important not to have unrealistic expectations. It took a lot out of me to travel at all. All the mundane steps like packing, getting to the airport, etc., took much more effort than they used to. Not to mention that our usual work pace no longer takes travel into account, which made me feel like I was falling further behind every hour. All that is to say, don’t expect to be as productive during a work trip as you were before.
Planning isn’t what it used to be. At our panel presentation, one person had a family emergency and could not come at the last minute. This is going to happen more and more just because the world is more chaotic. One of my wonderful work friends and collaborators from across the country attended the same meeting as I did, and we didn’t realize we were both there until he tweeted from the airport on the way home. We won’t have another chance to see each other for at least 6 months, and it would have been great to discuss our upcoming grant application. I’m reminding myself that adding travel back into my work life is an adjustment, and there will be bumps in the road.
Plan some downtime as you add back work travel. I regret that I did not realize how much I would need to set aside some time to think and to follow-up on my travel experiences. I will take my own advice in the future!
As always, please send me your good news and stay in touch. Feel free to share the blog with anyone- you can sign up at the bottom of the page here. I hope to see all of you in person soon.
Warmly,
Urmimala