Episode 302 | Living in the New Normal with Jennifer Miller & Jason Feifer
Everyone is experiencing drastic changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, we are forced to do things differently and away from each other. Adapting to the new normal can prove to be challenging, and it won't be easy for everyone.
In this episode, Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer share their insights on how to deal with the changes in their household, careers, and daily lives. They also talk about the importance of self-care and how you can do it while adapting to the new normal.
Join us and discover how you can adapt to these changes and integrate new ways of doing things in your routine.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Libsyn | RSS
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Jennifer and Jason share how they are dealing with the new normal and while trying to maintain work-home balance.
Learn the importance of self-care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discover ways on how to integrate the new normal in your routine.
Resources
Mr. Nice Guy by Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer
Jennifer Miller's website
Jason Feifer's Instagram
Pessimists Archive Podcast by Jason Feifer
Create a daily meditation ritual in just seven days! Download BUILD YOUR DAILY MEDITATION RITUAL and other freebies at RadicallyLoved.com!
FREE workbook! Apply the lessons you learn from this episode as you listen! Enter your email below and I’ll send it right away!
Episode Highlights
Life-Changing Events
The couple has a 15-month-old baby.
Their family is staying with Jason's parents during the pandemic.
Their five-year-old son feels lonely during the quarantine.
Work From Home Set-Up
Jen is used to working at home, where she can get a fair amount of work done even with things happening in the background.
On the other hand, Jason is having a hard time getting deep work done, which requires a lot of concentration.
Listen to the full episode to understand why the current situation is not conducive for Jason’s work process.
The entire household is adjusting to the current set-up.
Ability to Adapt During the Lockdown
Everyone is capable of adapting; it is a matter of attitude.
The lockdown gave Jason the luxury of time to do more fragmented work.
Jason is more productive when he works on several small projects.
Explaining the Pandemic to the Kids
Their five-year-old son is aware of the virus, as well as the danger and precaution needed to stay safe.
Their son stopped attending his regular online classes because of the time difference, and the child had a hard time concentrating.
Jen and Jason observed changes in their son's behavior because he would break down, feeling lonely and sad.
Listen to the episode to learn how Jen consoled her son and assured him he is safe and loved.
Parents need to make sure their children are emotionally healthy first, rather than keeping up with their education.
How Are You Feeling?
Jen takes the situation day by day.
It’s essential to be aware that mood swings can be attributed to the pandemic.
Jason's stress and confusion come from the inability to work the way he usually does.
He conducts a mental reset by de-stressing through chores and listening to podcasts.
Activities For Self-Care
Jen has four self-care activities. These include cooking, mindlessly watching TV, having a glass of wine every single night, and attending Pilates classes via Zoom.
The Pilates classes make Jen feel less lonely and homesick.
Having control is a form of self-care.
Jason disengages himself from anything connected with the coronavirus.
Jason finds a new hobby in ancestry.com, and building a family tree keeps him busy.
The New Home-Work Balance
Having children at home makes it more challenging to achieve a work-home balance.
We are in for a complete reorganization of the relationship of work.
Companies would favor work from home set-ups because it is efficient and productive.
Work from home set-ups introduces flexibility, which would allow people to maximize their skills and time.
Changes in How We Do Things
The goal is to fuse the benefits of our situation now and then.
Adverse effects due to the pandemic could eventually lead to amazing things.
The situation is revealing new experiences and new opportunities.
We can find ways to integrate changes into the old way of doing things.
What Jennifer and Jason Could Not Live Without During the Pandemic
For Jen, it’s being able to see and hug her husband and children. Moreover, as a journalist, Jen values being part of the conversation and being able to report relevant information.
Social media reinforces Jason’s value through the conversations he has with people. He is also fortunate to have conversations about new opportunities.
Self-care and finding joy in the small things help keep Jen’s spirits up.
Our choices and experiences are narrowed in our current situation; you should learn to improve the quality of the things you can have.
Jason shares how retail therapy improves his current perspective.
How Do You Feel Radically Loved?
The couple feels radically loved by Jason’s parents.
Jason’s parents welcomed them and have been taking care of their family since the pandemic started.
5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode
“Don't be obsessed with education, be obsessed with just making sure that [your children] are emotionally healthy.”
“I think that we are in for another complete reorganization of the relationship of work… Companies are now letting people work from home, or they're going to discover that remote workforces actually are completely functional, and probably even better.”
“Maybe what we need is the landlords and the banks—it's like a system, right? The people at the top need to stop being so selfish.”
“The thing about history, and especially the introduction of new things, is that one thing rarely ever replaces another—it integrates.”
“The results of terrible things are totally unpredictable, but can lead to amazing things.”
About Jennifer and Jason
Jennifer Miller is a journalist and author. She teaches writing at Columbia University, and her journalism work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, Entrepreneur, among others. You may read her work and contact her through her website.
Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. He is also a writer and the host of the Pessimist Archive Podcast and the Problem Solvers Podcast. You can learn more about Jason through his website and connect with him on Instagram.
Jennifer and Jason are happily married and are parents of two children. They are co-authors of the book Mr. Nice Guy.
Enjoy the Podcast?
If you felt radically loved from listening to this podcast, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Libsyn and share it with the people you love!
Love to give us 5 stars? If you do, we'd love a review from you. Help us reach more people and make them feel loved.
Do you want to turn your fear into power? A simple way is to share what you've learned today on social media.
FREE meditation ebook! Create a daily meditation ritual in just seven days! Download BUILD YOUR DAILY MEDITATION RITUAL and other freebies at RadicallyLoved.com!
Don't forget to send us messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for listening!
To feeling radically loved,
Rosie