by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 30, 2020 | Uncategorized |
Hey there BMB gang,
Today I wanted to take a moment to pause for a moment of silence as we remember life pre-pandemic.
…
I watched several movies this weekend, and every scene that showed a crowd made me physically cringe. It’s odd how quickly what was once normal, feels alien and strange.
It’s weird, right? We are a whole two or three weeks into this thing and we feel like we should be coping better. And yet I keep hearing from fellow colleagues about how distracted they are, or how exhausting everything feels.
And you know what? That’s okay.
None of us know how to deal with this. We are sailing in uncharted territory. Be kind and patient to each other, and more importantly be kind and patient to yourselves.
I will leave you with two articles that crossed my path this weekend, both of which I hope will leave you feeling a little less critical of how we are all handling this.
First from Rolling Stone, why we all feel so tired – “The Reason You’re Exhausted Is ‘Moral Fatigue'”
And then some solid advice in The Chronicle of Higher Education – “Why You Should Leave All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure”
We’ll figure this out together. I’m sure of it.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 27, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID19, Just for Fun, Work From Home |
Hey, hey BMB’ers,
How is everyone settling into the new normal? Did you wash your hands before you opened this post? Are you reading this from six feet away?
Okay, good.
Many of us found ourselves working from home quite suddenly last week. It’s been interesting, to say the least. But I’ve been amazed at how capable, adaptable, and willing to go the extra mile this department is. Kim and Dave implemented a brand new system to help reconcile pcards without paper during this time. Labs worked quickly to move their communications online and to make arrangements to limit or stop research. Faculty began teaching online. The staff collaborated with the faculty, the finance office, and other departments to keep us running smoothly.
I mean, I’m just gonna come right out and say it – The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doesn’t mess around!
Now that we’ve started to get into a routine, we wanted to share some pics of everyone working hard – at home!
We’ll kick things off with James Howell showing us how this whole online teaching thing is done! 
James, you look so serious. Also, your pupper seems to be judging you. “Are you sure you’re doing this right?”
Next up we have Jennifer Keefer checking in with her furry coworker, Tucson. I don’t know if I would be able to get much done with that face staring at me. Why yes, I will pet you for an hour!
Hey look, it’s our fearless leader, Wendy Hanna-Rose. Looking at this picture, it seems she’s got her hands full, and not just with us.
One of our newest faculty members, Denise Okafor, and her lovely assistant are working hard together to get the job done. (Oh man, I want to do worksheets too! They are way more fun than what I’m working on.)
To quote Joanne Power “If everyone’s pic isn’t them wrapped in blankets, eating Ben and Jerry’s, then they’re lying! :)” I mean, I’m not going to argue with that statement.
Dave Blehi is busy boosting morale and keeping us all connected via the BMB social media outlets. Keep the good news coming, Dave!
Kim Gummo and her sweet Bella have got things under control in the remote business office. Kim, deer, do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched?
And last but not least, your humble (really, Trace?) blogger and administrative assistant, me, Tracey Besemer. (Um, no, I didn’t put lipstick on immediately before taking this picture, why?)
Keep those pictures coming! Be well, and be safe.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 25, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID19, Human Resources |
Let me paint a sad picture for you.
You open a new pack of Oreos. You begin mindlessly crunching away on them. Fifteen minutes later (although you swear it’s been an hour) you reach into that row and find it empty. The only thing sadder than an empty row of Oreos is when you go to take another sip of your morning coffee because you forgot you already finished it three minutes earlier.
Usually, finishing off the coffee comes with less guilt.
Now more than ever I’m relying on the power of the almighty Oreo to get me through. And coffee. I’m also relying on my online counselor at BetterHelp.com. I made a much healthier choice than Oreos a couple of weeks ago when I decided to hit up our EAP to help me through this COVID19 insanity.
Did you know that Penn State’s Employee Assistance Program allows you and your immediate family free short-term counseling? And hoo boy, I can’t think of a better time to take advantage of it than during a literal pandemic.
Penn State contracts with a third party company, Health Advocate, to provide the services that make up our employee assistance program. And we have a very good EAP. Normally, you can get up to 5 in-person visits (per issue) with a counselor. But since we’re all practicing excellent social distancing right now I suggest you go straight for the online option, which is through BetterHelp.com. Don’t go directly to the site, you’ll need to call our EAP number first and they will send you a link so you aren’t charged.
You can reach our EAP by calling 866-799-2728.
Calling and setting up your online counseling is easier than demolishing a sleeve of Oreos. The initial call is private, quick, friendly, and non-patronizing. The person you speak to will send a link to your email to get your account set up. (You don’t have to use your PSU email account.) From there you take a quick and detailed quiz to help match you up with a good counselor.
Once you are matched up with someone you can email them, instant message, or have a phone or video session. It’s really quite easy and convenient.
Taking care of your mental health is always important, but in these highly stressful and uncertain times, it’s more important than ever.
Even if you’re not a therapy person, sometimes it’s just nice to have an outlet to vent to (“Seriously people!?! Why toilet paper? It’s a coronavirus, not norovirus?!?!) or someone to help you manage your stress (“Day 7 with the kids home: Charlie ate 6 crayons out of an 8 crayon box and Lulu won’t stop singing ‘Baby Shark’, I’m holed up in the pantry, please send help!) or if you’ve had one of those days where the only thing that will fix it is a good cry and a bottle glass of wine (Why are all the Oreos gone?)
If you’re not eating a double stuff Oreo, are you even eating an Oreo?
If you find yourself struggling through these crazy, unprecedented days, please consider taking advantage of this incredible benefit.
Penn State Employee Assistance Work/Life program – 866-799-2728.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 19, 2020 | Uncategorized |
Hello BMBers!
Well.
That escalated quickly.
I know you were probably looking forward to a post today about pcards or paperwork. However, in these bizarre and unusual times, I thought it might be more appropriate to talk about telecommuting. Many of us are new to this whole ‘working from home’ thing. And it can be a bit challenging to get acclimated.
There are a lot of great things about telecommuting though. I know everyone always goes for the obvious – working in your pajamas, but there are so many other great things about working out of your home office.
I’ve compiled a list because who doesn’t love a good list.
- You don’t have to worry about anyone stealing your lunch from the communal refrigerator. Yup, you can rest assured that when 12:00 p.m. rolls around your leftover chicken curry will still be waiting for you. Unless you have kids, then all bets are off. My advice to you is to cover everything in broccoli as a deterrent.
- Everyone gets a free, standing desk when you work from home. Yeeeah, it’s your kitchen counter. Be sure to clean off the hot fudge dribbles from last night’s sundae before setting down your laptop.
- Bad breath? Who cares! You don’t have any coworkers to impress, eat what you want. Excuse me while I go fix myself a liverwurst and onion sandwich.
- If you don’t want to help your partner with the chores you can claim you are working late. “Oh, the laundry? Yeah, sorry honey, I’ve got to finish this email to my supervisor. Really important, can’t put it off…”
- Every day is bring your pet to work day. Seriously, this might be my favorite part of online meetings these days.
- You get to choose the music, and play it as loud as you like – Swedish Viking Death Metal fan? Turn it up to 11!
- There are no awkward bathroom conversations – Do you still talk once the stall door is closed? Do you say hi if you recognize the shoes under the stall? Is it okay to break the silence when you’re both washing your hands?
- The commute is pretty sweet. I mean, it’s like, a whole 20 steps from my bedroom to my office.
- Your relationship with Alexa will deepen. Me: “Alexa, you’re my best friend.” Alexa: “Thanks, I’m feeling the love.”
In all seriousness, transitioning from office life to telecommuting can leave a lot of folks stressed to the max. Here are some tips to help make this change a little less stressful.
- Set up a designated office area in your home. Whether it’s a card table or an area on the kitchen counter, make that your workspace. And leave work there. I know it’s tempting to take your laptop and sit on the couch, but it’s important to separate work and home life – especially if we are all practicing social distancing and staying home.
- Get ready for work in the morning. Please, please, please don’t work in your pajamas. Your brain is a creature of habit, and working in your pajamas tells your brain that you are lounging, not working. Get dressed, heck, put on shoes if it helps. Complete your normal getting ready for work grooming. This tells your brain that you are going to work.
- When you take your lunch, close your laptop, and turn off your cell phone notifications. Give yourself time to decompress and enjoy your meal.
- Use video chats as often as you can. Look, you might not be having the best hair day (unless you are Traci Shimmel, she was totally rocking a great hair day yesterday!) but it’s okay, we need that face-to-face contact right now. It’s easy to feel isolated without even realizing it.
- Go outside. I’m going to say this again. Go outside. Whether you take a walk on your lunch break or get out after work, it’s important to leave the house! Seriously, go outside. Do a lap or two around your house, your block, up the road, whatever, just get outside! I went for a walk yesterday and I was amazed at how many other people I saw out walking. Go outside. Do it.
- Don’t let work bleed into your home life. Set timers and alarms. You may be surprised to find out that it’s much easier to work longer at home. Since your office is literally down the hall it’s easy to do ‘just one more thing.” Set an alarm to remind you to take a lunch and set another to remind you to stop for the day.
- Stretch! Seriously, get up and stretch at least once an hour. Do a lap to the living room and back, get a glass of water. Get up and move throughout the day. You should be doing this one anyway, but it’s especially important when you’re stressed.
- Keep the lines of communication open – during business hours. Effective communication is incredibly important right now. Check in often, see how your coworkers are holding up. But close it all down in the evenings so you can ‘go home.’
These are some weird and frightening times we are living in, but we will get through this together. Wash your hands, practice good social distancing, and do at least one thing per day that makes you laugh.
Speaking of…
In an effort to maintain my sanity I am setting up ‘lunch dates’. Do you want to have lunch together sometime? Hit me up in the comments or via email and we can pick a day, time, and chat platform. I’ll help you with that laughing once a day thing.
Please, please, please share this post with anyone who needs a smile!
