For the last five weeks, I’ve been delivering online sessions in schools.
What a steep learning curve!
But now it feels like second nature. It’s my new normal.
I have to stop and frequently remind myself that it wasn’t that long ago that running online sessions was completely new to me.
A week into the new school year, the state government announced restrictions on group sizes in schools. To prevent the spread of Covid, no large in person gatherings were allowed.
This meant my school talks could not proceed as they usually would.
Now I was faced with a difficult decision to make . . .
Should I stop giving talks and take a break?
Or should I quickly upskill in how to deliver online sessions and set up a home studio?
I thought to myself:
“You teach people how to learn more effectively . . . you know how to pick up new skills quickly, so you can do this! You can learn how to use Zoom, Teams, and Webex and set up a home studio!”
I had to learn a bunch of new skills. And quickly!
I didn’t have a month to learn and set up my home studio. How much time did I have?
Four days!
I had to focus my mind. I wrote a list and I swung into action.
Those were the most intense four days I have experienced in a long time. It was a similar level of intensity to when I used to pull all-nighters to complete my university assignments (this is not something I recommend doing).
In those four days, I learnt a lot. And not just about lighting, green screens, microphones, webcams and video conferencing software. I learnt some valuable life lessons.
Initially, I felt overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure where to start. So I reached out to a good friend for help. He created a diagram to show me the equipment I needed to create a professional home studio. With his encouragement, I started sourcing equipment from Gumtree, eBay and camera shops.
My friend also suggested a piece of free software that could take my online sessions to the next level: Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). OBS is powerful software which connects in with any video conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, Teams and Webex).
I watched some online videos on OBS. This software looked a bit complicated, but I knew this was something I wanted to learn how to use.
I didn’t realise at the time but OBS requires a powerful computer to run on. The problem was I was using an old MacBook. It didn’t have the processing power to handle OBS. When I did a test run, my computer kept crashing and my image kept freezing on my friend’s laptop.
Was it my laptop? Or was my internet not fast enough?
I had to pinpoint the problem.
My friend Paul Litherland (cyber safety presenter) had mentioned he used OBS for his online presentations with schools. I was desperate, so I contacted Paul for help.
I spent 40 minutes on the phone with Paul, explaining all my tech problems. He said:
“Jane, think of it like this . . . it’s like you’re at the race track and you’re driving a mini and you’re trying to go really fast but you can’t.”
Paul was gently trying to say my tools weren’t up to the job of running OBS. I put down the phone and realised I needed a race car, not a mini.
Fast internet, good lights, a green screen, a good quality microphone, a solid computer and second monitor: it sounds like a lot of stuff to purchase but all of these things are essential if you want to run professional online sessions.
But I come from a fairly frugal family. I was taught from a young age to save my money. Mum and dad’s philosophy has always been this:
“If we can make something ourselves or find a cheaper alternative, then that’s what we do!”
When we first went into lockdown in 2020, a school asked me to run an online session. With the family thrifty mindset, my brother helped me to create a home studio on the cheap. I used lamps and spotlights from Bunnings for lighting and big sheets of white corflute as light reflectors. It did the job but looking back, it was kind of clunky and not ideal.
When I compare my new studio setup to the one I created in 2020, I now realise how much of a difference it makes to have good quality equipment. Sometimes it’s worth spending some money to get the right tools for the job. Those tools can make your life a whole lot easier.
I’m not someone who likes to wing things, especially when it comes to technology. I knew I had to do multiple test runs (I did at least 30) using different video conferencing software to iron out any problems.
Delivering a talk to a big group of students can be challenging enough as it is. But when you add the extra element of having to use technology and make sure that all works smoothly, that can take up a serious amount of your brainpower.
I had to get really comfortable with the technology to free up my brainpower to deliver the session. The test runs made this possible.
I would do test runs with my friend late at night (8.30pm). The problem was I felt really tired at the end of the day. But this was the only time my friend was available so I had to work within his schedule.
On the first test run, everything that could go wrong did go wrong! And by the end of it, I was a mess.
I felt completely exhausted. I was not in the right frame of mind to work my way through each problem.
I went to bed feeling frustrated and demoralised on more than one occasion. This was dangerous because with my tired mind, I started to question whether I’d be able to pull off these online sessions that were scheduled in just a few days’ time.
When you’re feeling tired, it’s not a good time to try to solve complex problems. Those problems are more likely to occur as insurmountable and you run the risk of giving up.
The best thing you can do is stop before you reach the point of feeling totally exhausted.
After having a good 8 hours of sleep, I’d wake up feeling refreshed. And with this energy, I was determined to troubleshoot my way through the various issues.
You have to know when to say “That’s enough for today!” and hit the sack.
There were moments when I found myself feeling frustrated and stupid. Why did I keep experiencing problems with running the software (OBS)?
I’d think, “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I figure out how to get the audio working in this video?” But then I would Google the problem and soon discover it was a common issue, which made me feel better.
Luckily, there were lots of YouTube videos and forum posts on the various issues I was experiencing. I’d sit myself down with a notepad and pen, and calmly watch the video or read the forum post, sketching out key bits of information.
This reminded me that when you feel stuck and confused, you need to stay calm and ask Mr Google (or someone) for help.
I had to face the reality that I wouldn’t be able to use OBS for my first online session. My setup just wasn’t ready (I needed a more powerful computer) and there were some glitches I needed to sort out.
For my first few online sessions, I would need to go back to basics. Initially, I felt frustrated by this prospect. I cried out to my husband, “But I really wanted to use OBS!”.
He looked at me (he didn’t look impressed) and said:
“Jane, you need to learn to walk before you can run.”
He was right.
This was a process. I had to be patient. It was going to take a bit of time to get there.
It can be deeply satisfying when you step out of your comfort zone and learn new skills. With my home studio, I surprised myself by what I could do in a short space of time, but there’s no way I could have done it on my own. I needed help from others. And when things didn’t go to plan, I had to take a step back and go back to basics.
My home studio has evolved and will continue to evolve. Perhaps in a few months’ time, I’ll be packing it all up. The future is uncertain and no one really knows how this pandemic is going to play out. But for now, I’m having a lot of fun presenting remotely from home and learning new skills.
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When you test positive for COVID, you are told to stay at home, isolate, and rest for a period of time (in Western Australia it’s a minimum of 7 days of isolation or until you are symptom free).
The good news is there is a lot you can do.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a brilliant resource called Support for Rehabilitation Self-Management after COVID-19-Related Illness.
The WHO produced the leaflet for adults who have been severely unwell and admitted to hospital with COVID. But personally, I think this resource contains a lot of good practical advice for anyone who gets COVID.
Below I share a few ideas and strategies from this resource.
When you have COVID, everything feels harder to do. For this reason, you can’t expect to keep working at the same intensity that you usually would. The WHO recommends setting the bar low. It states:
“Adjust your expectations for what you can do in a day. Set realistic goals based on how you are feeling. When you are very tired, breathless, or weak, even getting out of bed, washing, and dressing can be achievements.”
Are there any tools, services, or people that can make your life a little easier? You’re going to feel low in energy (remember, your body is busy fighting a virus!), so you need to conserve the remaining energy you have.
The WHO recommends:
• Doing tasks sitting down when you can
• Avoiding tasks that require you to stand, bend down, reach high, or squat for long periods
• Factoring in time to rest during the day
• Getting people to bring you healthy meals and/or help with shopping
• Doing light tasks between heavier ones
If you haven’t got COVID yet, think about what you can do now (while you are healthy and well) to make life easier for your future self. It’s best to do whatever you can to minimise the risk of catching COVID in first place.
Keep wearing a mask. This is simple, easy, and effective. Even if you don’t have to weak a mask and no one else is wearing one, studies show wearing a mask makes a big difference in protecting you from the virus.
But let’s say you still end up catching COVID. What would make life easier for a sick version of you? Perhaps a few healthy homemade meals in the freezer would do the trick. Or having a stash of items that make you feel good and lift your spirits (e.g., nice music, healthy snacks, and good books).
COVID can mess with your memory, attention, and ability to think clearly. Instead of feeling frustrated with yourself (“What’s wrong with my brain?”), there are simple things you can do to take the pressure off and ease the mental load. The WHO suggests the following practical strategies:
• Engage in gentle physical activity (more on this below).
• Challenge your brain (e.g., read, start a new hobby, or do a puzzle)
• Set up prompts to remind you to do certain activities (e.g., write a list and notes to yourself)
• Break down activities into baby steps
We are social creatures. We are wired for connection. During your COVID recovery, it’s important to reach out to friends and family members. The WHO states:
“Talking with others can help to reduce the stress and may also help you in finding solutions for challenges in your recovery journey.”
Chatting can be an uplifting activity, but it also takes energy to do. If you find yourself feeling a bit tired and out of breath, let the person you’re talking with know that you need to wrap things up or take a little break.
Remember, your top priority is to conserve your energy and rest so you recover well.
The WHO stresses that exercise is an important part of your COVID recovery. Engaging in physical activity is going to help you rebuild your strength, boost your brainpower and improve your mood and energy levels.
But one thing is clear . . .
If you feel sick, dizzy, and/or light headed, you shouldn’t be exercising.
In this article, senior lecturer Clarice Tang recommends returning to exercise only if you have not experienced any COVID-related symptoms for at least seven days.
When you do feel ready to get back into exercising, don’t overexert yourself. Ease into it by creating some tiny exercise habits. The WHO recommends a number of simple exercises you can do, such as bicep curls, squats against a wall, and step-ups.
The WHO states “Eating well and drinking water/juice are important to your recovery” and “Eating sufficiently and healthily is important to your overall wellbeing”.
For these reasons, resist the urge to order fish and chips or a pizza from Uber Eats. If you have the energy, prepare a simple healthy meal. Every meal you eat that is packed full of nutrients is likely to take you one step further to making a full recovery.
Research suggests certain nutrients (particularly vitamin C and D and Zinc), which you get through consuming plant and whole foods, can improve your immune function.
The WHO recommends sticking to a regular sleeping and waking up time. If you’re not sure what an optimal sleep and wake time is, use an online sleep calculator to work this out.
The WHO also acknowledges that stress can negatively impact on your ability to get restorative sleep. For this reason, it suggests adding some simple relaxation activities before bed time.
Having COVID can be stressful. It can bring up a lot of fear and anxiety (“Will I get better? What if I get long COVID?”). The WHO suggests engaging in “relaxing activities that do not make you too tired”. Why not try listening to music or a podcast, reading, or doing a guided meditation?
There’s a lot you can do to optimise your COVID recovery. If you follow the WHO’s recovery recommendations and you’re still not feeling 100% come day 8 (when isolation ends), don’t panic. Dr Norman Swann states on the recent Coronacast episode that Omicron tends to knock you about for 3-4 weeks.
So, go easy on yourself. Be patient. Healing from COVID takes time.
I force myself to do this because by the end, I feel amazingly good.
Exercise gives me a natural high.
Comedian and writer Catherine Deveny says:
“[After exercise] My body feels better, my mind clearer, my heart lighter and I’m happier and less grumpy. Starting the day with some cardio makes me move faster for the rest of the day; I end up getting more done.”
Oh, how I can relate!
These benefits have helped me to conquer my inner couch potato and create healthy habits.
99% of my workouts leave me feeling great. But a couple of months ago, I did a workout that messed with my mind. By the end, there was no natural high. I just felt bad.
Here’s what happened . . .
My alarm went off in the morning
That was my cue to get up and get moving.
After a busy weekend, I felt exhausted. Did I want to exercise? No way.
But I managed to drag myself out of bed, get dressed and drive to the gym. I reminded myself, “After the workout, you’ll feel good.”
I arrived at the gym and started jogging with everyone else.
I was huffing and puffing. It felt hard but I was there. I was doing it.
I said to myself, “Good work Jane. Keep going.”
Then we started doing push ups.
I thought, “This mustn’t look pretty but I’m here. I’m doing it. And showing up is what matters.”
I was starting to get into the groove of the workout. I was feeling less groggy and more mentally alert. The feel good chemicals were beginning to kick in . . .
But then the instructor said something that threw me off track. It was a simple comment but it derailed me. Here’s what she said:
“You’re really struggling today Jane. You look really tired.”
All of a sudden, everything felt ten times harder. And I felt really tired.
My mind was spinning out of control with thoughts like . . .
“I must look really tired and stupid doing these exercises. Why didn’t I just stay in bed?”
“I have to go and present at a school shortly . . . will I be able to do it?”
“Maybe I’m not up to it today? Maybe my talks will be a flop?”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the negative self talk. It was relentless.
As I was driving home, I noticed I felt upset. I found myself thinking, “Did the gym instructor have to make those comments?”
Her comments weren’t helpful. They weren’t motivating. They just made me feel lousy and clumsy.
Was I being overly sensitive? Perhaps.
But I knew this was one of those moments where I could easily throw in the towel. It was a make or break moment.
A few days later, I had a realisation . . .
These things are hard work. They’re tiring. They can cause us discomfort.
But it’s the discomfort and strain that often leads to progress.
I think this is where some of us go wrong in life – we expect things to be easy.
As soon as things become slightly challenging, stressful or a strain, what do we do?
We give up.
We take the easy and more entertaining path. We escape to our devices for instant gratification.
As best selling author Mark Manson says:
“Our tolerance for pain, as a culture, is diminishing rapidly.”
Modern life has deluded us into thinking the easy way is the best way forward. But I’m not so sure it is.
I think if you can resist instant gratification and stick at something that is challenging, you’ll be better off in life (certainly in the long run).
The other thing I like about working out and lifting weights is it builds my tolerance for discomfort and stamina to complete big projects.
For instance, I recently started participating in boxing classes. There is nothing easy about boxing. Each class is a hard slog.
But my boxing teacher is super motivating. She has this saying:
“Without pain, there’s no progress!”
I asked her what exactly she meant by this. Surely, if my knee hurts, I shouldn’t keep kicking the bag?
She explained . . .
“I’m not talking about pain in a specific area. It’s about experiencing the feeling of challenging your body. Pushing past your limit because that’s where the magic happens.”
She added:
“Some days are going to be harder than others, but that’s okay!”
It may feel counterintuitive but avoiding stress and pain isn’t good for us. It actually has the opposite effect. It makes us weak. As Mark Manson says:
“. . . if you avoid stress and pain (i.e. you sit on your damn couch all day watching Netflix) your muscles will atrophy, your bones will become brittle, and you will degenerate into weakness.”
So whatever challenge you’re facing in your life right now, don’t avoid it.
When you feel the discomfort, nothing is wrong. Take it as a sign that you’re on the right path. Keep going. Challenge yourself to take the next step. Because that’s where the magic happens.
That is the question many of us are asking in the face of the pandemic, COVID-19.
On the ABC podcast Coronacast, Australian physician and journalist Dr Norman Swan mentioned that data coming out from China showed gyms were one of the high prevalence areas of COVID-19.
He stated:
“[At gyms] there’s so much sweat … and dampness is a bad thing for spreading germs. . . you’ve got these big blokes pumping away and they couldn’t give a damn about corona virus and one of them might be a super-spreader.”
On the topic of super-spreaders, there was a recent study that came out of Japan that examined 110 cases of COVID-19 among 11 clusters. The researchers looked at who acquired the virus from whom.
The researchers found:
“All clusters were associated with close contact in indoor environments including fitness gyms, a restaurant boat on a river, hospitals and a snow festival where there were eating spaces in tents with minimal ventilation rate.”
The study found that a primary case was less likely to transmit the COVID-19 virus in an open air environment. It was recommended that people reduce unnecessary close contact in closed environments to reduce super spreading events.
You move quickly around each station doing a circuit style high intensity workout. Each station is strictly timed so you don’t have long to wipe things down. To make matters worse, some people don’t always bring a towel and sometimes train with a cold.
I was starting to feel uncomfortable about working out at this place.
Let me make it clear, it was not an easy decision to leave my gym.
Going to the gym has kept me sane and grounded for the past 15 years. I was a little worried about how I’d go. Would my mental and physical health suffer?
So I asked myself the question:
I came up with a simple but effective plan. Here’s what I’m doing:
At the gym, I had trainers telling me what to do. I needed something similar. A little guidance to get me going first thing in the morning.
I found an app that looked like it could be a good fit for me: The 7-minute workout by Johnson & Johnson. Some exercises I’m not comfortable doing (e.g. lunge side rotation), so I modify them (simple lunge).
Note: The app contains lots of workouts that go for much longer than 7-minutes.
Just before going to bed, I lay out my exercise clothes and pack my workout bag. I collect everything I need for my morning workout:
• Drink bottle
• Phone
• Headphones
• Towel
• Yoga mat
When I wake up, I put on my exercise gear, grab my bag and start my workout routine.
There isn’t enough space in my house to do jumping jacks and karate kicks, so I head outdoors. I started training at the local park. One thing stood out: it was really nice to be surrounded by birds and trees and see the sky. I felt free.
I didn’t force myself to do my usual 45-minute gym workout. The fact I was moving was what mattered most. I said, “Even if it’s just for 7 minutes, it’s something. It’s a start.”
You see, I’m trying to form a new habit (i.e. exercising outdoors without instructors). So I had to ease into it and lower my expectations. According to Professor BJ Fogg, author of Tiny Habits, starting small would give me the best chance of success.
All that being said, BJ Fogg warns that even a 7-minute workout may be too much to begin with. He states:
“…if you haven’t gotten off the couch in a year, don’t start with seven minutes of strenuous activity. Start tiny instead…make your new workout habit radically easy to do. Scale back to doing one wall push-up. Just one. When you run into a setback – a cold, for instance – you can still manage to do one wall push-up, stuffy nose and all. By going tiny, you create consistency; by staying tiny, you get your new habit firmly rooted.”
With each training session, I realised some things weren’t working.
For instance, one morning I didn’t feel 100% safe training at my local park. I thought, “No problem. Let’s try another location tomorrow.” So I switched to training in my backyard.
Mosquitoes turned out to be a problem. So I purchased some insect repellent to deal with this. Problem solved.
This morning, I experimented with a 10-minute dance session before doing my main workout. This was fun but my playlist needs a little tweaking. I’ll spend some time today compiling a dance playlist.
All in all, my new training regime is going well. I’m enjoying being outdoors, getting fresh air and hearing the sounds of nature. I’m also saving a fair chunk of coin by not paying for a weekly gym membership.
But more than anything, I’m a lot less anxious about catching and spreading COVID-19. I am doing what I can to stay healthy, flatten the curve and slow the spread of this nasty disease.
Dr Jane Genovese delivers interactive sessions on learning to learn, combating procrastination, exam preparation, how to focus in the age of distraction, habit formation and much, much more!
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