What Has Quarantine Made Us Grateful For? Post #7: Sean Wagner, System Design Specialist
This is the seventh post of an ongoing series we will continue amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, where members of Team Sure-Dry share what being "quarantined" has made them grateful for...
Post #7: Sean Wagner, System Design Specialist - Sure-Dry Basement Systems
This quarantine has certainly shined its light on all of the negative aspects of the situation that we’ve all found ourselves in. However, I believe that’s a negative pattern of thinking that we all find ourselves in sometimes. I have been challenged by Tom Wardlow to take a moment to think of the things I have been grateful for during this time. There are a few key takeaways: One thing I have noticed is the “snowball effect” of positivity in my life over the last few weeks. Since we’ve been on quarantine, I haven’t missed a single day of working out. I challenged myself to make working out a priority in my life, and in turn I have also noticed a shift in my hunger. My appetite for food has almost become on par with my appetite for helping homeowners. Since most places are either closed or in the process of closing, it is impossible to eat out, which if you ask me is a blessing in disguise. I have developed a pretty nasty fast food habit during my time at Sure-Dry as I spend a lot of time on the road and I seem to find myself taking the easy way out. This is certainly not the nutritional life that I would like to lead, so during this quarantine I have really made it a priority to prepare my meals. In turn, I have reignited my love for cooking from scratch.
Another reason that my appetite has increased is the result of cutting out my nasty vaping habit. That is one of the biggest goals I made for myself at the beginning of the year, and I wasn’t taking it very seriously. Until March 19th, when I threw my vape out of my car window (apologies for littering!). I was surprised at how much easier it was for me to resist the urge if I eliminated the temptation of having it around. I have noticed a few cravings, but they aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were going to be. I noticed it the most during the situations that I found myself vaping the most. It was the first thing I’d do when I would wake up in the morning, as bad as that sounds. Sometimes my body would wake up “naturally” in the middle of the night just to get a fix for it. I knew this path wasn’t sustainable for my health and well-being and I am ultimately glad to have gotten rid of that and replaced it with something as positive as working out. I am starting to link the effects of how I’m feeling to the choices I’ve made since we’ve been on quarantine. I will challenge myself to eliminate the temptation of eating out once everything opens back up by meal prepping on Sundays. If I do find myself in a moment of weakness and slip up and choose fast food, I will write down exactly how it made me feel and remind myself that it isn’t good to do that. I get it, sometimes we don’t have a choice, but we do have the choice on what we choose to eat. There are always healthy options out there if you look hard enough.
Lastly, one area where I certainly feel grateful during this epidemic is still being able to continue helping homeowners. This time of year we always get very busy, and normally I find myself in moments of struggle, or feeling like I’m treading water just to keep my head afloat. The paperwork, high mileage, and other necessary elements that come along with this line of work will continue to pile up, but through all of this, I realize how important the work that we do really is and what it means to homeowners. This time especially, people are finding themselves working from homes, or unfortunately not working at all. Also, with schools being closed children are staying home full time, which if you ask a lot of homeowners only compounds the stress. On top of all of that, some unlucky homeowners are spending time shop vacuuming water out of their living spaces, pulling up carpet, tearing out drywall, and tossing out valuables that have become ruined as a result of water intrusion. To be working alongside homeowners during this time to design permanent solutions that ultimately get rid of all these bad outcomes has created a sense of purpose in my life. I realize how important the work we do truly is. I don’t see it as something that I wake up and must do. I see it as something I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to do. The work that we do really matters, and I am thankful to be a part of the Sure-Dry family.
I challenge anybody who reads this to take the time out of their day to write down all the things this quarantine has made them feel grateful for. There is always something positive to shine light on and I think you will be surprised at how much better it will make you feel. Call your family and friends to check on them, and if you must leave your home, stay safe out there.
- Sean W.
