We love hearing and sharing your stories. We want to find out how people are adapting to their ‘new normal’, what changes they’re making and what they’re learning. Each week, we share a story with you, from people in different jobs (or not in jobs for some), in different places, with different experiences. If you’re interested in sharing your story, we’d love to hear how the ‘new normal’ is for you.
What’s your name and what do you do?
Andrew McIlwaine. I head up a new People Insight team in the Ministry of Justice.
How did you start your day today?
Snooze, shower, coffee, bananas
What was a typical day like for you pre Covid-19?
Three days a week working from home with colleagues around the country. One day a week face-to-face to meetings with stakeholders and leadership team colleagues. One day a week face-to-face collaboration and learning as a team. Each day will start with a check-in with the immediate team – how they’re feeling and how their work is going.
And what is a typical day like now?
Very similar – it’s just moved from 3 days remotely to 5 days.
What’s been the biggest change to your life (working and personal) in light of Covid-19?
Working – Reducing from two days commuting (3 hours total a day) to zero has made space for a more sustainable approach – but also created the risk of expanding the working day.
Personal – Not being able to physically go to Church.
How have you had to adapt to accommodate what’s happening?
I’ve had to be more conscious and intentional about taking breaks, not allowing start/finish times to creep and making time for exercise.
And what have been the biggest challenges (working and personal)?
It’s been a change of outlook more than anything else. Accepting that I will not be physically with colleagues for the foreseeable future.
What do you miss most about your life pre Covid 19 (working and personal)?
Spending time physically with my colleagues and friends from Church.
What surprisingly good things have emerged in your life since this began?
More time to think. More time in the garden.
What have you learnt about yourself during this?
I can make relationships work over video-link.
What do you hope we as a society learn from this situation?
To live in a simpler, slower, kinder and more sustainable way.
What has helped you to cope with your situation?
Talking, talking, talking.
What message would you like to pass onto others?
Focus on what you can do to make the most of remote working, rather than whether remote working is better than on site working.
Finally, what’s on your ‘Playlist’:
Favourite meal? – Anything hot and spicy
Boxset/film or book? – Handmaids tale
Thing to do that just makes you happy! – Photography
