4 minute read
Friendly Competition
Friendly
COMPETITION
BY CHARLES A. SCHNEIDER
We’re slowly coming up on two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we get closer to the “anniversary”, I thought I would add my own story of how I coped.
the beginning; we had no idea that it would last this long. One leader speculated, or rather stated very confidently, that we would all be back in church by Easter Sunday. Well, that did not happen!
How did we cope? Well, we all did it differently.
It was my habit, for years, to go to my health club every weekday morning at 5:30 a.m. to start my one-hour routine. This was an important part of both my physical health and my mental wellbeing. When the health club had to close, my world was turned upside down—and not for the better.
Sometime around March of 2020, our world and work community changed like no one had ever witnessed before. As a result of COVID-19, businesses were closed, and most of us were placed in a work-fromhome environment. It was a temporary change in
I started talking long walks in the morning, attempting to keep the same schedule that I followed when my health club was open. It helped, but was not fully satisfying.
How could I maintain this routine and connect with others, like I did when the club was open? I began to think that the Attorney General employees that I supervise as Section Chief for Criminal Justice might also be struggling with the same challenges of isolation stemming from social distancing and closures.
I came up with what has been dubbed the “Friendly Competition” as a way to unite and encourage the farflung section staff. Each participant would track the minutes they spend on exercise each week, whether that involves walking, running, swimming, biking, rowing, yoga, weightlifting or some other form of exercise. I selected minutes over distance so that everyone’s effort would count equally. Each Monday, they would report their minutes to me, and I would then report back to everyone the total minutes for the team during the prior week and the team average.
All members of the Criminal Justice Section were invited to participate. The Section staff consists of 37 attorneys and staff; 35 volunteered to participate. I divided the participants into two teams to encourage maximum participation and effort through a selfimposed “rivalry.” The first week of the Friendly Competition was March 20, 2020. We are still at it, with over 30 participants. Six people have left this section to join other Attorney General sections, but asked if they could remain part of the Friendly Competition. Of course, we said yes— we are glad to have them.
I came up with what has been dubbed the “Friendly Competition” as a way to unite and encourage the far-flung section staff. Each participant would track the minutes they spend on exercise each week, whether that involves walking, running, swimming, biking, rowing, yoga, weightlifting or some other form of exercise.
I have received a lot of positive feedback. Several have commented that it motivated them to get up and get moving. One commented that it has helped to keep her dog calm; not sure I had that in mind, but I am pleased.
As of this last week, the section has accumulated a total of 493,316 minutes, or an average of about 15,416 minutes per person. That is an average of 42 minutes per person per day, assuming a person is working out every day. I have had several participants who have reported over 1,000 minutes in a week. That is a lot of exercise.
My health club has reopened, and I am glad to say that I still go there every day at 5:30 a.m. to start my workout. I am still part of the competition. I think it is doing what I had hoped it would. Physical health. Mental health. And connectivity in a work from home era.
Charles Schneider, Esq.
Ohio Attorney General charles.schneider@ohioattorneygeneral.gov
