So I’m starting a new full-time job today, 100% remote, with the CDC Foundation working exclusively with the State of Alaska Department of Health as a Communications Specialist on public health wellness initiatives.
I accepted this job (and affirmatively walked away from many others) because it enables me to “do good” while also centering my own wellness — in my writing, in my lack of a car-dependent commute, in my ability to establish a healthy work environment that engineers movement into it right from the get-go. (Note: I’ve worked remotely for many years, following years in on-site and travel-heavy corporate communications jobs, and kinesthetic movement has always been part of my creative process).
I’m aiming for work hours that provide an open chunk in the middle of the day for Traveling at the Speed of Bike. I’ve set up both sitting and standing desk work stations. There’s a drum and a yo-yo for standing stretches. And I have meditation, yoga, shuffledancing, gardening, and rollerskating habits already that I habitually sprinkle throughout my day. Plus, I pick fresh greens and herbs almost every single day from right outside my door to add to meals.
So, we’ll see how this goes. Can I keep wellness centered while working a demanding full-time job across time zones? Can I “do good” while literally embodying the very principles I’m espousing?
Step one — I’m committing to continuing my existing habit of at least an hour on my bike each day. I’m calling it my Rush Hour and am reclaiming what those words mean for us as a society. A rush of freedom. A rush of joy. A rush of memories.
Join me at this new kind of office! Tag your photos, videos, TikToks #RushHour and/or #JoyRide so we create a virtual water cooler of support!
Okay, now I gotta go. I start work at 6 a.m. ET and I gotta get my Zoom outfit on!
I’ll try to post a TikTok each night (follow along!), and a weekly post here on this blog.
Also don’t miss my new Our State of Health weekly newsletter, featuring quick-read curated shoutouts about free information and inspiration from the USA’s State and Territory Departments of Health. Check out the first two issues here.
UPDATE January 11, 2021: Day 1 yesterday went well! I maybe ate too many cookies but other than that, I did get my bike ride and rollerskating in. I took a couple of quick shuffledance breaks. And a big joy was using the standing desk for two hours (which I created by simply putting the dining room table extender on top of four storage crates) while the sun rose. (I’ll show you that sometime.)
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 