Furlough Life

Furlough ... a word most people had never heard of before the Covid-19 Pandemic.

We were just a few weeks away from the cricket season with a great team ready to get stuck into winning matches. I always like to think positive, and I think we had a fantastic chance of winning some silverware this year!

Sponsorship and events for our special 150th Anniversary Year were all in place, but then the world was struck by the pandemic.

Until four weeks ago I was working from home. Working from home isn’t something new for me as I did so for three and a half years in a previous role. Working from home is like Marmite; you either love it or you hate it. Over the years, I have grown to love it because I always seem to get more done at home.

Four weeks ago I was asked if I would agree to be furloughed. If it’s going to help the business, you do what you can! The vast majority of staff were already furloughed, but to secure the Club's financial sustainability, we needed to do more. As you can imagine, no cricket equals little or no income, so every little helps as they say! (sorry Tesco, I’ve stolen your strap-line).

An HR professional from one of my previous roles who I have known for over 15 years messaged me to say “you will find it strange not working, I know you will struggle with that. Have you got a plan?” This was true, but I know that I am pretty adaptable and resilient, therefore I though that everything should be fine. I like a challenge, but this is a challenge of a different kind!

The first few days were very odd with a range of thoughts and emotions running though my head. Living on my own and not being allowed to work when I’m someone who is dedicated to work seemed like a tough ask. We do a lot of hours in cricket, especially in the summer, therefore not being able to work at all is very strange for me!

The first day of furlough was a difficult one; I spent most of it pacing up and down. At the end of the day, I received a message from someone asking whether I had enjoyed my first day of furlough leave. As I hadn’t even got my head round the fact that I wasn't allowed to do any work, this upset me a little, as it felt like people thought I must be on some kind of holiday! I can assure you that for someone like me that loves working and is dedicated to any role I undertake, it definitely is not a holiday; especially at the beginning when you are trying to get used to it.

I effectively had to walk away from everything I have built up over nearly five years and felt as if I was letting the sponsors and partners down by not being there to support them personally during this crisis period. I had some lovely messages from sponsors and partners when I emailed them to let them know I had been furloughed which softened the blow somewhat. It is always nice to be appreciated.

The directors had already taken a voluntary 20% pay cut, therefore the reduction in money wasn’t a consideration (although money is pretty handy when it comes to paying the bills)

I locked my laptop away (literally) and turned my work phone off. For the first few days I was itching to work, but I managed to refrain. I did a mini digital detox for six days. No phone, Twitter, or LinkedIn; a few people did notice that I had disappeared. It was nice to be missed.

Work is very important to me and I always want to do the very best I can, including striving to go over and above. This literally had to stop over night!

After a few more days of pacing around, I realised that I couldn’t change the situation, and I switched into another mode of acceptance. I started listening to mindfulness talks/webinars on my headphones as I did other activities. Sitting still hasn’t really been an option for me during this furlough period. I have signed up to Netflix, but as yet I haven’t watched one film! I have found that the best way for me to deal with situations like this is to be physically active, but it won’t be the same for everyone.

I am doing a lot of physical exercise. Whether it is running, boxing (I have a full size spar partner at home) or painting the outside of my house. People channel themselves in different ways. Some people will prefer to do online courses and learn, some paint or draw, but for me exercise and physical activities keeps my mind sharp and ready to get back to work when I am able to. All of this, plus listening to mindfulness talks while I am active, is helping me to stop thinking about work.

Only you know what’s best for you, so go with your gut and not what other people tell you that you should be doing in these situations. Everyone is a unique and individual, and there is no one size fits all solution.

It is a fact that exercise helps to improve blood flow and memory. It stimulates chemical changes in the brain that enhances learning capacity, mood and thought processes. Even when I’m working, I find a short 20 min run at lunchtime does wonders for the way I think. Before this pandemic, I was lucky enough to be able to run around the pitch at lunchtimes (when the team aren’t practicing- I’m not sure getting hit by a ball would do much for my thought processes).

I’m not really sure what people think when I start running backwards round the pitch, but it’s good for me physically and mentally, so does it really matter what people think? It’s about my wellbeing and that’s all that matters. 

By the way, running backward is called 'Retro Running'; look it up or try it, it’s fun! It’s more difficult than you think to start with as you are using a different part of your brain!

Back to furlough life.. it was definitely hard to start with, but the key is to get yourself into the right mindset, into a routine and accept the situation. Only then will you find peace. Life is a journey and this pandemic is part of it, so whatever your current position, you need to try and make the most out of a bad situation wherever you can.

I have now done four weeks furlough in my own company and haven’t even been to shop, as I have been getting Tesco online deliveries (plug for Tesco, having previously used their strap-line).

I have learnt a lot about myself in this time and although I did consider myself a strong person before, I think it has made me stronger. Life experiences shape you as a person from the minute you are born, so personally, I am using this as another life experience to help me grow.

I’m looking forward to coming out of this fitter and stronger and to hopefully being back at work in a few weeks! It’s going to be tough for everyone moving forward, but with the right mindset we can all do this! 

Success is the ability to go from situation to situation without losing your enthusiasm, and I certainly haven't lost mine!