Many of you have been communicating almost entirely via digital platforms for more than a year, so I don’t need to tell you Zoom fatigue is real. When hours of everyday are spent communicating via videoconference, chat, text, email, and more—all without so much as one in-person conversation—it’s only natural for burnout to set in. And when it does set in, stress and anxiety are sure to follow.

In the past year, our workspaces have changed a lot. Many of you have gone from having a dedicated office to working entirely remotely to switching back and forth in a hybrid model. No matter where you do your work, though, a lot of the stresses are the same.

I don’t need to tell you that it’s been quite a year. The memes about 2020 are everywhere so there’s no need to repeat them here, but suffice it to say we’ve all been through a lot these past 12 months. As stressful and chaotic as this time has been, there are plenty of lessons to take from it—far more than in a “normal” year, even. From a personal growth perspective, those lessons can be powerful and long-lasting.

If you want to advance your career, taking risks is a necessary evil. If you want to rise above the competition, risks push you out of your comfort zone.

As boxing great Muhammad Ali once said, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

I have always enjoyed philosophical books. They offer great insight and inspiration on how to improve my life and how to better approach my work. Along the way, I have discovered that some of the greatest wisdom comes from the simplest lessons.

The holiday party. It is a staple of workplace culture, almost to the point of cliche. Every sitcom that centers around a workplace includes at least one episode that occurs during a company holiday party. No surprise, then, that in a year when everything about business is a little different, holiday parties will be too.

As we approach the coldest part of the year, it’s clear that our current work-from-home (WFH) forecast shows no signs of slowing down. With the lower temperatures likely to produce a spike in Covid-19 cases, it’s possible restrictions will be tighter during the winter than during the previous few months.

If you want to advance your career, taking risks is a necessary evil. If you want to rise above the competition, risks push you out of your comfort zone.

Back in the olden days when we spent most of our work lives in offices, we separated our days with countless little breaks. We went on walks, ate snacks in the break room, had conversations with our fellow team members, and more—and we never thought twice about it.

This far into an unprecedented year, I’m willing to bet that you have your remote workflow down pat. You know when to start your day, how to reach out to clients and teammates for help, and what to do if Zoom crashes during an important meeting.

These TED Talks teach you how to be an effective risk-taker. If you want to advance your career, taking risks is a necessary evil. If you want to rise above the competition, risks push you out of your comfort zone.

"People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

This is one of my favorite quotes--often attributed to poet Maya Angelou and others--because it highlights something everyone in business struggles with--focusing on the entirety of the experience rather than one isolated activity.

During the beginning of the year, when all of us were adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t have to devise a perfect work-from-home strategy. Even if you had some experience working remotely, you probably weren’t planning for a day when going to the office would be an impossibility. It’s only natural that corners got cut in the rush to transition.

Sometimes the most complex issues in business and life can be solved by the simplest of means. The Greek philosophy of stoicism teaches you the basic truths about life. Embracing this wisdom can provide the guidance you need to be a better person at work and home.

Instead of work-life balance, strive for work-life harmony. Forget what you might think you know about work-life balance. It's almost impossible to have true balance between your professional and personal life. After all, balance implies that there needs to be a strict tradeoff between the two.

I enjoy collecting inspirational quotes from luminaries, but I have found sports personalities especially intriguing since sports and business have so much in common.

In order to succeed at the highest level, athletes and coaches must have passion for their endeavor, a strong work ethic, and a constant drive even when faced with incredible setbacks and obstacles. This is something every business person can relate to. What can you specifically learn from the world of sports?

As a business owner, I call upon some of what I have learned as a yogi to get through the day, especially the stressful ones. I often rely on what I know to calm my mind and refocus when I need it most. I have found that just a minute or two of mindful breathing or a quick meditation is all I need to lower my stress levels, recharge my brain, and be more mindful about the task at hand.

Given that we’re now months into our response to the coronavirus pandemic, I bet you’re getting used to working remotely. In fact, many people are considering the benefits of making work-from-home a more regular and permanent facet of our professional lives. Once you’ve adapted to new technology and created a personalized workspace, you may find that doing your job at home is just as feasible as doing it in an office. However, it’s important to remember that the daily tasks of your role don’t make up the whole of your professional existence.

In this time of so much unrest and pain, many of us turn outward in anger and frustration. It is a natural tendency for us to react in this way to the horror we see around us and the growing stress we already are experiencing in our daily lives. It can leave us feeling helpless and sad, so what is left is more noise and opinions on what others can do. We often can think that when we look at problems of racism, prejudice, school shootings, the environment, and so on, that the issues seem so overwhelming that we don’t know where to begin.

Over the past weeks and months, the COVID-19 crisis has touched all of our lives. Some states may be beginning a cautiously guided reopening phase, but there’s no telling which restrictions will remain in place and for long. The situation is, in a word, unprecedented. With such rapid and seismic change—whether that change means losing your job or doing it in a whole new way—it’s only natural that people are feeling a little down and struggling to adjust.