Over the past few months the team at M+A Partners, like so many teams across the country, has been making the adjustment to working remotely from home. This has been a challenging time for businesses and individuals, as we become accustomed to the new ‘normal’, whilst looking after our health and wellbeing and delivering the same level of stability and support to clients and the wider community.
As the economy starts to open up again and we are all able to experience some of the leisurely pursuits we have been missing, working from home continues to be the safest way for many businesses to operate.
Many of us miss the face to face contact that comes with working in an office, catching up with colleagues and friends whilst making a cup of tea in the staff room or taking lunch breaks together. To ensure our team still feels connected, we have welcomed the addition of virtual ‘coffee catch ups’ and ‘after work drinks’ into our working days – giving us all a chance to see a friendly face and find out what has been happening across the firm.
As we continue to watch how the release from lockdown evolves, it seems the home office will continue to play an important role in the working lives of our team.
Here are some snapshots of how our team have found solace and a little bit of something to make them smile amidst the unusual circumstances we all now find ourselves in.
What makes us smile?
“When I find life stressful, or want a break from the seemingly endless bad news, I love to escape in fiction. My favourite novel — preserved in all its glory, in this beautiful folio edition — is J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. I’ve read it several times and always spot something new. The riddle, ‘speak, friend and enter’, also reveals (quite literally) the doors that are opened through friendship and goodwill. I feel like this resonates strongly at a time when we must be apart.”
“I have been trying to keep up with all of my running challenges. All the races I was signed up to between March and August have been cancelled, but I have been trying to find virtual races instead and have probably run much more than I normally would. My running club have been great at keeping us motivated and last month arranged a virtual run for charity which has raised over £10k!”
“I have been colouring while drinking tea ordered online from my favourite Norwich Teashop Wilkinson’s and enjoying my favourite chocolate from Pump Street based in Suffolk Baking. The boxes from Pump Street are the recycled when I re-fill these with homemade lockdown ‘postal’ brownies for friends and family.”
“I challenged myself to a 1000 piece jigsaw. Loving my daily exercise reconnecting with nature, and gardening. Of course I also enjoyed the M+A lockdown cake from the Partners which was lovely too.”
“Our daily walk from our home down to the marsh makes me happy, as well as spending some quality time with my daughter and baking some delicious chocolate treats.”
“Gardening is a happy distraction, I have been sending weekly “Dig for Victory” updates to my fellow M+A Partners team members – advising what to sow, prune and harvest outside.”
