Snow days, work days, and that weird in-between

Yesterday was Sunday, and it started snowing. A lot.

We knew it was coming. Schools were already being called off on Friday, so the whole weekend had that familiar hunker down energy. Stock up, stay in, wait it out. That was a welcome change of pace.

I ended up working a bit on Sunday. Not because I had to, but because sometimes, on a long, boring snow day, it’s nice to use your brain in a different way. I’m not a workaholic, but I got a little work done. I still did all the proper snow-day things too: coffee, hot cocoa, chili, movies. I even watched my daughter make ice cream in the snow.

At some point, I stepped outside into the snow and recorded a TikTok about timelines. Mostly because the contrast made me laugh. After that, I closed my office door and enjoyed the rest of a peaceful day.

Today is Monday. A real workday.

If you work remotely, you’re probably working today too. Slack is on. Calendars are full. The expectation is very much “business as usual.”

And yet… when I look out my window, nothing has moved.

The street is still completely white. The driveway is untouched. My car hasn’t been shoveled out. I feel fine about all of that, but it creates this strange tension. Technically, working is easy. The internet works. The office is warm. Everything I need is right here.

Emotionally, though, it’s harder.

Snow days still carry this unspoken expectation that the world slows down a bit, even if work doesn’t fully stop. When that doesn’t line up—when the outside world looks frozen but the workday charges ahead—it can feel oddly disorienting.

When I think about days like this, I don’t really think about plans or timelines as much as I think about people. People trying to focus while the world outside looks completely different than it did a few days ago. People carrying more than just work in their heads.

There’s a lot going on right now. Between the news, what’s happening in the country, and conversations many of us are having (or avoiding) about issues like ICE, safety, and uncertainty, it can all start to stack up. Even if it’s not directly part of your workday, it has a way of leaking in.

So when the outside world looks frozen, and the inside world is asking you to move forward like nothing’s changed, that disconnect can feel heavier than usual.

Work is still happening. But a lot of what’s happening outside of work doesn’t feel okay, and it’s hard to pretend that doesn’t affect the day.

Days like this are a quiet reminder that it’s okay to ease up when something unusual shows up. To let the pace soften. To do what you can, then step back and enjoy the snow, the quiet, the small pause from normal routines.

The work will still be there. It always is. Things tend to work themselves out.

Some days you move fast. Some days you move gently. Today feels like a good day to give yourself permission for the second.

TL;DR - Some days feel heavier than others. Between the weather, the news, and everything else we’re carrying, it’s okay to move a little slower. Do what you can today and give yourself permission to enjoy the pause when it shows up.