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By: Lorraine LaPrade, Librarian/ Services Associate, City University of New York/ Teachers College, Columbia University

Before COVID-19 and the switch to remote work, I kept my position as a librarian—champion of the research process—and my background as an artist and social dancer—champion of creative expression, lover of the dance break—separate. However, working remotely has shown me that in order to manage all of my responsibilities, I needed to bring these, seemingly, unrelated experiences together. Once I added a little more dancer to my librarian, and a little more movement to my workday, I found a strategy for beating and preventing burnout.

In January of 2020, I began experiencing signs of burnout. Initially, it presented as physical discomfort. But I didn’t listen to what my body needed; I kept going. Before stay-at-home orders were issued in New York City, I spent Monday to Friday zipping from one responsibility to the next, taking few breaks. After stay-at home orders were issued, I spent the rest of March and early April doubling down on my previous behavior. My breaks became shorter. I stayed in front of my laptop for longer to update one more slide, to send one more email. Instead of making me feel productive, the extra work only made me feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

In mid-April, I began experimenting with a more sustainable work routine, one that balanced my work and home life. I restructured my work week by infusing it with movement and creativity. One evening after a reference shift, I took a stand. A head roll. A shoulder roll. Then I rolled out my mat for a virtual restorative yoga workshop. Before an afternoon reference shift, I turned on some music and shimmied in front of my desk. At the end of a work week, I attended a virtual dance party and, with 200 fellow dancers of all skill levels, grape-vin(ed), chaffa(ed), body rolled, and salsa(ed) into the next week. This felt like me. If I had to work at home, it seemed imperative that I brought a bit of myself to work.

I enjoy dancing because it connects me with my body and reinvigorates me. After a few minutes of dancing, I am ready to start/finish the day. But how might I include an embodied practice into my workday when remote work ends and I return to campus? I may not be able to dance with abandon, but even simple movements can be energizing. When the campus library was open, I observed that walking to the water cooler was almost as refreshing as the drink itself. Whenever I return to campus, I will take more walks to the water cooler. To break up the routine, I might add a hop.