Just before Covid-19 hit, I had major problems on my left side – an incredibly painful shoulder, as well as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrist. I had to immediately stop carrying so much with me every day. I had to wear a brace on my arm at night, otherwise the pain meant I could not sleep. Being left handed, I could not wear it during the day. I realised I had to make changes for the sake of my physical health.
Then came Covid. I worked from home for two years, and I got out of the habit of carrying a bag at all. I only went out for the necessities so I kept my phone and keys in my pockets. My work moved online. I no longer printed anything.
After Covid, my working patterns changed. Nowadays I work probably 60% of the time at home, and 40% out in the field.
Look at the difference between what I used to carry, and what I carry now!
Before:
And now:
I no longer carry notebooks with me (I used to have one for student notes, my calendar, and my journal), no reading glasses, no double packs of tissues, no iPad, no laptop. Sometimes I carry a book, but mostly I read via Kindle on my phone.
There must be a big difference in your overall comfort with a lighter bag.
very much so. Before, at the end of a day my back and shoulder would ache so badly. Now I don’t feel a thing.
This is a great change! I’m also looking for ways to not carry too much. It’s great that you can do a lot of your work online. I hope your left side is better now.
It is fine now – amazing what a rest can do. I am very careful nowadays about overcarrying (just made up a word there…).
I agree with you completely. Strangely, during COVID I fell in love with the Franklin Planner system, and so had to go from “one bag that’s with me always” to “one work bag that only comes to work and on day trips, but no bag at all for days off roaming the city”. It normally works OK, but not having an umbrella on the roaming days in London isn’t always a good idea…