Voices of UX
Run like a girl: Designing and maintaining work-life balance from home
My company transitioned to remote work in response to COVID-19. Running cleared my mind and taught me valuable lessons about personal and professional growth.
I’m an Interaction Designer on Red Hat’s User Experience Design (UXD) team, where I shape the user experience of Red Hat Insights.
As a group, UXD creates UX visions for products by designing prototypes and mockups that we then implement into our products. Our team collaborates from far and wide: I’m based in Brno, Czech Republic, and other designers, product managers, engineering associates, and customers communicate from around the globe.
Remote culture isn’t new to Red Hat: our team was well accustomed to remote work before COVID hit us. But a full remote work model brought new challenges. How could we balance our home and work lives within this work-from-home model? Living at home and working at home was a new experience for me, and my journey toward figuring out a work-life balance in my new setting didn’t happen overnight. Everyone’s COVID-19 situation is unique — here’s what I’ve learned from mine.
With COVID-19 came change. Many of us experienced shifts in location, communication, and workflow.
When the Czech Republic’s lockdown started in March, I decided to move from Brno to Hradec Králové to live with my parents, since I didn’t want to isolate alone in my own apartment. All of our team communications turned virtual and required a lot of time spent in front of my laptop tied to Slack or video conference calls. While this transition didn’t impact my team’s communications directly, it did eliminate the in-person communication I’d grown used to with my other colleagues. Losing those office interactions and my daily commute were the most challenging aspects of adjusting to Red hat’s remote framework.
The situation in the Czech Republic calmed down in May, when social events and gatherings were allowed again. However, I had to find my own way and set my own remote work boundaries since I would be working from home for the rest of the year. Working from home one or two days a week wasn’t new to me — Red Hat is no stranger to hybrid remote work models, one of the reasons Fortune recognizes it as a great place to work and ranks it 19th on its list of Best Workplaces for Millennials.
Running became a routine that got me outside and gave my day structure. It was always a part of my work week, but during these months, it offered me so much more.
I am a people person and frequent video calls with my colleagues are a normal routine to communicate and sync on the updates. There are days when I sit and work in front of my laptop all day long. Running has always been part of my work week, but during the past months it became something to look forward to, as it allowed me to get outside, manage stress levels, and social distance on the trails. I followed a training plan from my coach and each day offered a different kind of training. This structure brought me a fulfilling balance in my day.
I enjoyed the contrast between being in lockdown and being able to move freely outdoors. Outside, I was able to relax my mind and focus on the present moment. When I am running, I am taking care of my well-being. It takes me outside of the apartment and I get a much needed change of scenery. Being outdoors is a great cure for nearly everything, and heading out for runs on a regular basis helps me control my stress levels.
With great flexibility comes great responsibility, and I’m lucky to say I have a job that gives me both.
While I was at university, I competed in track, and the lockdown actually gave me more time to focus on training, since work travel and social events were out of the equation.
The COVID situation in the Czech Republic normalized and by July, the Czech Athletic put on summer races. These competitions offered me the opportunity to put my training to the test. I began running each morning and working in the afternoons, when my teammates in the United States were online. This rhythm allowed me the flexibility to balance consistent training with my job responsibilities.
Consistency and hard work pay off in the workplace, but also on the track: I won the 3000m steeplechase at the Czech Championships.
The steeplechase is a 3000 meter obstacle race with four barriers or hurdles, and a water pit. Jumping over the water pit became my strength during the race, where I was able to gain a few meters to my advantage each lap. The race itself was very tough as it was a hot summer day in Plzeň and the last four laps were a battle as we ran side by side, finding the last bits of energy for the final stretch. Since I lived my competitive college years in the USA, this win gave me my first senior national title. When I crossed the finish line, I felt absolute happiness and realized why we do sports: the excitement they bring.
After I entered the working world four years ago, I thought I’d retired from racing. My work-from-home running routine revived my connection to competing. Now, I’m approaching my personal bests and standing on the podium again.
Run and lead like a girl
Despite its difficulties, the COVID-19 work-from-home situation helped me grow as an athlete and a professional. Establishing a dedicated running routine benefited me physically and emotionally: activity boosts immunity, energy, and happiness, three things I can use to supercharge my creativity. Finding a work-life balance during the pandemic helped me develop traits that will help me navigate the UX industry as virtual work becomes a standard. Ultimately, finding balance while working from home shaped me into a better designer and UX leader.
So whether you’re after a handful of happy endorphins or looking to build a more balanced lifestyle, carve out some time to lace up those running shoes or dive into your favorite hobbies! Everyone can grow on the journey toward an optimal work-life balance.
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