Shooting My Shot at Sidekick!
*Disclaimer: This piece is not associated with Morning Brew or Sidekick in any way.
Happy April Sidekick Readers 👋! The sun is shining, we’re inching our way towards herd immunity, and skinny jeans are officially cancelled. Life is good, and only getting better. That’s why today’s recs are all about how you can seize the day everyday in 2021.
Work
Despite companies releasing suspiciously similar hybrid work plans in succession, the chances of escaping the virtual workplace once and for all are looking slim. Turns out, hybrid might just mean you get to take your video calls from the office instead of your kitchen table. But Zoom fatigue is real with 77% of employees reporting burnout in this Deloitte study of 1000 full-time corporate professionals.
Video-conferencing drastically reduces our usual mobility and increases our cognitive load according to Stanford Professor, Jeremey Bailenson. He thinks a solution might be “audio only” meetings where you can physically remove yourself from staring at a screen and pace around like you would in-person. (Gotta respect Clubhouse’s timing, they really were ahead of the curve on this one)
For screen mandated sessions, IDEO designer Daisuke Yukita suggests taking a pulse of participants’ energy levels first. He created his own Mood Checker which lets teams anonymously indicate how they’re actually feeling on a smiley face scale, so he can adjust the session accordingly.
If you’re definition of a break from work screen time is leisure screen time, your eyes are probably still going to ache. Try finding alternative sources of dopamine hits by activating your other senses from lighting scented candles to creating mini Zen gardens for your desk.
Live
- Chag Sameach! This Passover, Jewish chef Jake Cohen gifted the Internet with his mother’s recipe for turning bland matzo into chocolatey goodness. Check out how to make Matzo Toffee as seen in Digestif.
- If you’re spring cleaning includes replacing that old couch you’ve probably spent way too much time on this past year, check out these velvety plush options from ABC Carpet & Home. Something tells me they’ll be on time with their orders after going viral last week in this hilarious couch delay email chain fiasco aptly titled: Dude, Where’s My Couch?
- Looking for something to look forward to? I got you. A24 just released the trailer for Zola, a WILD true story based entirely on this Twitter thread. If anything’s going to collectively put us back in theaters post-pandemic, it’s this movie. (Warning: it’s pretty NSFW)
- It’s actually impossible to be too old for Easter egg crafting so grab your family & friends and try these 21 hacks for a happy Easter holiday this weekend.
- I made a New Year’s Resolution to read 1 book a month this year, and I’m kicking off April by jumping on the Kristin Hannah bandwagon to check out The Four Winds.
Learn
People say time hasn’t been real since last March, but I feel like it’s never been more real. Everyone’s living between scheduled Zoom calls and in constant anticipation of whatever’s happening next. It’s never been more difficult to be present.
In this TED talk, Rev. Takafumi Kawakami, Deputy Head Priest at Kyoto’s Shunkoin Temple explains how the practice of mindfulness can help you live in the present and improve your overall happiness.
Mindfulness can also be applied to eating. Groups meals are a particularly wonderful opportunity to be in touch with both your food and your company. They’ve also been inspiring meaningful social interactions for centuries. I was particularly moved by The Communal Table, a piece about a feast in Milpa Alta, Mexico called La Rejunta which means “the roundup.” After the meal, there’s a period of time dedicated to just talking and hanging out called sobremesa. It’s often everyone’s favorite part of the feast because there’s nothing left to do but enjoy each other’s company.
While large group gatherings might not be an option just yet, there’s other things you can do in the meantime to stay present. Spontaneous acts of kindness are a great way to improve the moments in your day, and in someone else’s. Kelly Victoria gave spontaneous kindness a go last year after noticing a 4-year old’s fairy garden while on a walk. She impulsively dropped a note inside pretending to be a fairy named Sapphire and it became one of the most wholesome stories of 2020.
Upgrade
- You can’t go wrong with comfort and minimalism which is why Atoms are my go-to shoe. They match all my fits and are super comfortable for city-walking. They’re def the footwear to beat right now. Atoms was co-founded Sidra Qasim whose story was featured in Humans of New York and is an absolute must-read.
- Charcuterie boards have really made a scene this year and with socially distant outdoor picnics finally becoming a option in Chicago, I’m committing to making one. Thanks to Tik Tok’s (and the world’s) first ever cheese board influencer Marissa Mullen, I now know how to plate my cheeses to achieve the optimal aesthetic.
- If you’re not on the Italic wave, you definitely should be. High quality products at cost are the mooove. I got my mom this super grippy cushiony yoga mat for her birthday and she’s in love with it. I might even give it a go now that I won’t slip every time I try to tree pose.
That’s all for today Sidekickers! Hope you enjoyed today’s read and are motivated to carpe diem all 30 days this April. See you soon.
Your hopeful internet sidekick’s sidekick,
Ashritha
