Blue Zones Project Blog

Get Caught Reading is a nationwide campaign to promote the fun of reading books for all ages. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers, the initiative is now managed by Every Child a Reader with support from the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation. Supporting well-known figures, including First Lady Laura Bush, Drew Carey, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Donald Duck, Patty Duke, Billy Graham, Derek Jeter, Dolly Parton, Sammy Sosa, Spider Man, Erik Weihenmayer, and others, have all been "caught reading" their favorite books and magazines for print ads and posters seen by millions of people across the country. In addition, more than 200 Members of Congress have been photographed "caught reading" on Capitol Hill. All of these images are available online. Click here to see pictures.

Before joining Blue Zones Project in The Dalles, Oregon, I spent 25 years working with international advertising and brand agencies in Europe and in the US. As a dual Swedish-US citizen, with family on both continents, I’ve moved back and forth a few times, typically spending at least a month each year in “the other” country. During those times, I’ve always worked remotely managing large scale projects and teams. Working across multiple time zones, I’ve had to keep very fluid work hours, including evenings, mornings and weekends. For better or worse, I’ve never been very good at separating my private from my professional life.

When I started working remotely about five years ago, I quickly recognized how different it was than going into the office and having a regular group of people to chat with throughout the day. Having owned pets my entire life, I knew that adopting an animal would help ease the gap of in-person co-worker interaction. Owen (the cat) has now been a part of my family for three years and is voted ‘employee of the month’ on most occasions.

During this unusual and stressful time, recalling positive and comforting experiences is therapeutic. Creating practices that can easily be reproduced at home to build tranquil environments is paramount, given schools closed across the nation with families confined to their homes.

Many of us are now working from home, and it’s not always easy. You may have seen this funny video from an otherwise serious   BBC interview  and relate now more than ever.   

 

Much has rapidly changed in a few short weeks as millions of us now experience “WFM.”  This abbreviation for “Works for Me” or “Works from Home” are both appropriate in today’s new virtual work environment. For some of us, working remotely is not new.

Responding appropriately and positively to stress is healthy, satisfying, and could contribute to better outcomes. Certainly, the world is undergoing intense negative pressures which can be overwhelmingly damaging short-term or harnessed for good long-term.