Day 93: Better Time Management and More Exercise
Day 93: June 27, 2020
Global Cases: 10, 075, 115; Deaths: 500, 624
Egypt Cases: 63, 923; Deaths: 2,708
Mustafa Arafa
Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department
I wake up early in the morning, as usual, around 6:30am. But that is actually later than my daily routine before COVID-19, when I used to wake up at 5:30am to start my journey to AUC early enough to avoid the morning rush hour (anyone living in Sheikh Zayed knows my suffering!)
Now, no time is wasted on the daily commute, and no time is needed to dress up in something fancy; just something ‘comfortable’, I will leave it here!
My day starts with reading and responding to emails, reading the news, and then getting ready for my class. I enjoy teaching and interacting with students; they have always been a constant source of inspiration to me, and I always feel they are the future, so every moment spent with them is joyful.
I finish my classes and get ready for an exciting train of Zoom meetings. Back-to-back meetings are effective but frustrating. No time is needed to go from one meeting location to another; you just sit there and wait for the next meeting to come. Zoom meetings have actually made me more punctual, so that’s a plus.
A vicious cycle of meetings, phone calls, and emails seems endless, even while having lunch with my family, and the work extends into the late evening hours. End Of Day (EOD) seems endless!
It is easy to get carried away, spending 16+ hours of work every day. While this means more productivity (remember: no commute back to home in the evening rush hour) but the daily routine, which extends through the weekend, can take its toll on your mental and physical health. That is why my daily routine now involves a daily walk and a spin with my new bicycle.
COVID-19 is changing the norm. I have discovered new things in my life and learned a lot about my work. When we return to campus, things will be different, for the better I’m sure. I hope you stay safe and I hope to see everyone again on campus.
For The Caravan‘s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.
