Introducing Nicerlation

‘What a day!’

These words are said by someone every single day at The Unmistakables.

That’s normally because we are all so excited and enthusiastic about running a company we love and working for clients we respect.

‘Normal’ is not the word of the moment, though. So much has changed in just a few short weeks and we’re now living in extraordinary times.

What has been an era of collaboration for us has quickly transformed into a time of isolation.

Personally, this feels very familiar: I was widowed when I was 33 and left as the sole parent of a two-year-old boy. I learned a lot about loneliness and how to deal with it.

That’s the reason why I spent four hours on FaceTime with friends on Saturday night. I ordered some Nando’s through Deliveroo and opened a bottle of wine. I often have a night in with friends, even if they can’t physically be there. Trust me when I say that you’ll make new habits work when you have little other choice.

This morning was the first official day of The Unmistakables’ reactive policy of self-isolation. Not ideal timings at all, as we had a new team member starting today and she had to join via video link. But the atmosphere was great, and we got through loads of work. It still felt like collaboration rather than isolation. I’d said the words ‘What a day!’ to myself at least three times before lunch.

I do know what a shock to the system the feeling of isolation can be, though; I’ve learned, first-hand, just how hard suddenly being alone can be on your mental health, sense of community and collective purpose.

And that’s why we’re going to do something about it. In light of the Government officially advising people to work from home where possible, we are introducing Nicerlation every Wednesday lunchtime.

Join us for a nice isolation (a nicerlation) conversation at 12.30pm on Wednesdays to help get us all through these unchartered times. The topics will change, we’ll invite different people to host, and we’ll share anything we learn along the way that might help make the experience of changing the way we work a little easier.