The examples are multiple and if the subject is of interest to you, I invite you to read the Letter of Google CEO to his employees on WFH and avoiding burnout. I encourage you to read the article appearing on INC and discover that some of the most productive methods to avoid burnout and keep productivity at a reasonable pace are focus and space.

We were all excited about Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft TEAMS, and the so many other connectivity tools out there at first. However, what I did not personally expect was this:

1. Virtual meetings are more exhausting.
2. The calendar is exploding.
3. Working hours are longer.
4. Work-Life balance is harder.

I can create a longer list but this is not the objective. I am not here to complain, after all, I am thankful for having a job that I like, while so many other people are either furloughed or laid-off during such hard times.

The reason why I am writing today is to acknowledge that things are changing and that the world before COVID19 is not the same as the world after it. We should be resilient and learn new survival methods. The other reason why I am sharing this today is to invite you to read some of the below articles that I find enriching and helpful.

3 secrets of resilient people — LINK

7 simple tips to tackle working from home — LINK

Our Work-from-Anywhere Future — LINK

I hope you enjoyed the selection and I will share more of my favorites every-Friday.

Have a nice day. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Thank you for reading. for more articles check my blog: www.fekrabnina.com

The reason I am writing this blog today is to share with you some of the useful techniques I developed to keep my balance. I am happy to share with you the list of the 10 things I do to deal with stress in these uncertain times:

1. Disconnect: I, like so many other friends I know, have watched the Social Dilemma on Netflix and since then I decided to turn off most of the notifications, uninstall Facebook from my mobile device and clean my social presence on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I limited my news intake to 1 hour of radio a day. I do not watch TV anymore and I feel so much better.
2. Take a walk at least 3 times a week: I decided to better plan my working day around a healthy routine. I wake up earlier. I take the kids to school with my wife and have a walk with her on Les Berges du Lac. If I fail to do that, I have a walk with my friends before the curfew time. It certainly helps to keep fit and releasing stress and negative energy after a packed day of work.
3. Have a to-do list: Building your own set of actions to do around the day is very important for keeping a normal pace and not falling into a sense on under-achievement. If it is about finishing a certain project, sending a specific email, or even calling a dear person, then write it down and make sure you do it before you call it a day.
4. Don’t forget to have breaks: With working from home mode, we tend to forget to take short walks, going out to get some sun, and drinking water. So if you find this challenging set it up in your calendar as a reminder.
5. Keep the faith: Whatever you do to keep the faith, just do it. It might be praying, connecting with dear ones, helping the poor or the elderly. We need not forget those who have been impacted the most during these times. This will definitely help to have a positive impact on our state of mind and our communities.
6. Have some fun: This is a very general statement as fun has multiple definitions matching a personal taste and culture. I personally like watching standup comedy, movies, and my favorite show on Youtube Shark Tank Australia. On weekends, I like to take my family for a picnic or travel to close parks for a walk.
7. Ask for help. No one is perfect and we need a shoulder to lean on. That might mean getting professional help; Calling a friend or Calling your family. You are not alone.
8. Avoid unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking, massive eating, and laziness.
9. Accept the fact that there are things you cannot change or influence. It is ok.
10. Help me find number 10. What did I miss? How do you cope with stress? Please share your techniques below.

I personally went through a lot to be part of the FI Tunisia first cohort and did a lot of sacrifices to succeed and get things done. In order to do that, I had to drop few things and prioritize some others, and here are the 5 takeaways I would like to share with you:

1/ If you decide to do it, then you can do it !

The FI team pushed us so hard to achieve our goals and dreams, but the decision has to come from the inside, because as they say: “You are not doing this for us, you are doing it for yourself!”.

2/ Dream big, and work hard !

I believe it is an obvious thing to say, but I have to say it again. Dream big and work hard, but mainly work harder and it always pays at the end..

3/ Be humble, and learn..

The most important thing to learn in FI is to be humble, we sometimes face really harsh feedback about our ideas and business assumptions.. But that’s how life is.

I also learned to accept feedback as it is, think of it as a gift, and make build something better..

4/ The “sh**t” just got real, and the journey started !

FI is not the end of an era, it is the beginning of the real entrepreneurship journey ! So expect us..

5/ Ideas are cheap / Execution is Key !

This is a special wink to Emna Ghariani

Ahmed Hamza
Used to be CEO of Happing, Currently working on new initiatives/

9 years ago, my wife and I had one of the biggest challenges of our lives which was organizing our wedding on a limited budget of 5K$.

And here I do not only speak about the wedding night, but I am speaking about: The wedding night, purchasing the new house’s furniture, the jewelry, booking the venue and the band, creating the guests' list and inviting them, getting the legal papers ready, and everything else you know..

I imagine that if you read the shortlist I just mentioned you would say to yourself: « Is this guy crazy? how did he manage to do all this on a limited budget? »

Well my answer will be very simple and I will try to explain it in the coming 10 steps to follow:

Step 1: If she is with you than everything else does not matter!

Having your soul partner with you is the most important part of the whole process. In fact, if you are getting married, everybody in the family will have a say in every single detail related to the marriage. Your aunt, your mother, your father, her mother, her father and all the cousins you barely speak to will reach out to you and give you numerous advice on how things « should happen ».

Listen to me: Forget all that they say, and if she agrees with you and is ready to challenge the status quo and imposing your choices (TOGETHER) you will manage! She has to be your partner in CRIME

Step 2: Plan, replan and plan again!

This is a very important part of the wedding. This sounds very simple, but it is not! Go to every store you know. Speak to every one of your friends who got married before to know what you need and have an overall estimation of the budget.

Then create a checklist of the things you need, and discuss your priorities.

For example, if you think you can survive without a microwave or a coffee machine in the first months of the married couple's life, then these two items should not be on the list, at least for now.

Apologies for the coffee lovers... This could wait!

Step 3: Stick to your budget, and do not go into debt!

If you only have 10000 TND or less/more then that is your budget, and please don’t think about having a loan from the bank or anybody else. You don’t want to start a new life that is supposed to be full of joy and romance with debt. And as the Tunisian proverb says: « Live on your size ».

If you are willing to go over budget for the sake of pleasing your aunt, then that is not a good idea. Unless she pays for it, but that is also a bad idea as well... Just drop it!

Step 4: Enjoy every moment...

You are starting a new journey and a major change in your life. You will no longer be single and you will be sharing everything with your new partner. Try to make every second a happy one, and again you should care less about what people say, this is your life, live it the way you want!

Step 5: Get help from Friends!

We all love a helping hand to join us in making the wedding a big success, so get some help to transport the furniture and decorate the house but also get tips from the ones who have experience!

Usually, they’d love to help!

Step 6: Memories are more important than things!

In the marriage allocated budget, you should fix a part of it for your honeymoon ! Go places, have fun, and if that means no curtains for the « salon », then YES the priority is for the honeymoon and not the curtains. You’ll buy them for later..

Step 7: Traditions are nice when they are free...

If you want to follow traditions and do every single thing that your grandmother says, then good luck!

You can even drop 90% of the traditions of marriage, and do the ones that cost you the least money possible...

Traditions are expensive, and following them is a headache... People will hate you for not doing them, but your banker will hate you more for not being able to pay your debt on time

Step 8: Avoid summer...

Do not get married in the summer season, everything is much more expensive and bands will double their prices during the season. Any other time is best!

Besides, it is really hot, hot like 50° so that ruins make up for the women and cakes for men.

Step 9: Be strong!

You will have a hard time doing all of the above, but be strong. You’ll thank me later!

Step 10: Wait for Happing, maybe one day.

Happing was going to launch to help couples plan their weddings and get married the cheapest and smartest way possible. The endeavor in on hold for now. Any other things you want to share? Please feel free to drop us an email at ahproster(at)gmail(dot)com

We will be very glad to answer any of your questions and include more suggestions from your side.

Having said all that, we wish you the best of luck!

Ahmed Hamza.