Treadmills have somewhat of a bad reputation. That reputation isn’t new, even though the recent Peloton treadmill recall due to multiple injuries and a child’s death sparked the latest controversy over the machines.

With pandemic restrictions easing across the country, many of us are wondering if we’re about to truly return to “normal.” I think it’s safe to say that society is going to feel the impact of the pandemic for a long, long time. Even if we leave masks and social distancing behind some time in the future, the trauma of living through a global pandemic is sure to make a lasting mark.

With over 100 million Americans on the road to full COVID-19 vaccination, we’re likely to see a more robust return to in-office operations. Many Americans have grown accustomed to the conveniences and challenges of working from home. Our office spaces almost seem stopped in time, relics of the past.

Leadership is a tough gig. No matter who you are, you’re going to encounter tough conversations. It just seems to happen more often in leadership! Challenging conversations can bring out the worst in us. It’s all-to-easy to lose our cool and give in to frustration and anger.

There’s no doubt about it: the pandemic has been a headache for everyone. Both Forbes and The Washington Post report that occurrences of headaches and migraines spiked in 2020. Headache specialists are reporting an increase in the number of cases, as well as intensity and frequency of headaches and migraines among patients.

Throughout the last year, our healthy habits have likely been slipping. Stay-at-home orders left us sitting around inside. Stress had us eating our feelings. Working from home cut down how much we move. If you’re looking to get back into shape with healthy eating habits and exercise, you’re not alone!

None of us enjoy conflict. With that said, it’s inevitable. We will be and often are around people we don’t entirely get along with. Even if you do get along, mistakes and misunderstandings can be a source of conflict, too.

There was once a time when we might have romanticized the idea of working from home. After all, what sounds terrible about missing out on your commute, staying in comfortable clothes all day, and added flexibility to your schedule? The truth is, particularly for those of us still working from home almost a year after the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, working from home has lost its charm.

For many of us, working from home is not ideal. Over the past year, we’ve set up makeshift home offices and settled into a (hopefully) temporary at-home work routine. Unfortunately, our home environment is not always conducive to getting work done efficiently.

Spring is nearly upon us. Here in the South, Spring comes a little early every year. Or rather, spring allergens do. Already, we’re seeing that tell-tale dusting of yellow on our cars! The typical allergy season kicks in at the end of February and early March, first with tree pollen. Grass pollen hits around May and lasts until mid-July, give or take.

Spring is here! It’s you’re anything like me, you’re enjoying watching the trees bud out, the warmer temperatures, and the longer evenings. This is the time of year when we think about new beginnings, refreshing, and resetting. I think the “urge” to start fresh might even be stronger than that of the new year.

As leaders, we’re often called to wear many different hats. We feel the pressure to be the idea guy, the confidant, the decision-maker, the mediator, the influencer, the coach, and the strategist. Sometimes the pressure to be all things to all people leaves us feeling drained and inadequate.

The human body is composed of 60 percent H2O. Blood is 90 percent water. That’s a lot of water.

Do you find yourself feeling exhausted before your workday has even begun? Do you rely on coffee to make it through the day?

It’s 2021 and many of us still feel cooped up at home. Restrictions have eased and returned, leaving a lot of us without the option to continue our regular exercise routines, as gyms are among the most impacted spaces during the pandemic.

After 2020, I think we’re more aware than ever of our need for a strong immune system. Our bodies must be well-equipped to fight off illness...COVID or otherwise. Unfortunately, many of the strategies and supplements we employ to “boost” the immune system are not all that effective.

It’s so easy for us to believe that the dawn of a new year makes everything different. While this time can serve as a herald for change and renewal, it doesn’t erase the past year and its hardships.

New year, new you!

After 2020, I’m sure we’re all wary of such declarations going into 2021. If you’re like me, you’re approaching the new year with cautious optimism. Of course, 2021 as a date on the calendar by itself won’t change you or the world.

The world seems more fast-paced than ever. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s been the value of slowing down. Reflecting. This has been a year where we have been stressed and displaced, worried and searching. While I don’t want to sum up the challenges and lessons from the year in some bullet-point list, I do think it is valuable to share some of the revelations that have occurred to me (and others) over a very different, very trying year.

As you’re all well aware of by now, my family owns REI Nation, the leading company in turnkey real estate investment. This isn’t about to be a pitch, don’t worry (our reputation says plenty!). I do want to talk about something we as a company have learned over the years and how it impacts all of us in the professional world — particularly those in a position of leadership.