Morning Brew - 💌 Meet me in the copy room

Time-saving tools and products we’re really into rn.

• Avoid the flash of fear that comes with dropping, splashing, or breaking your iPhone and pick up Qubii, a device that backs up your photos while you charge.
• If you suspect you may be burned out, take The Wall Street Journal’s six-question quiz to help identify the root cause and get some initial solutions.
• Reader rec alert: Sidekicker Maithreyi uses networking site Lunchclub to connect with other professionals based on user interests and industries.

I do things as they come and as I’m inspired—I will force it if I don’t feel it.

Reyna Noriega is a 29-year-old visual artist and author, born, raised, and working in Miami. Her work—which features vibrant, joyful depictions of marginalized people—has graced the covers of Science magazine and The New Yorker.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kickoff: I try to meditate or put on something calming like ocean sounds, and just ease myself into the day. I try not to check any emails or social media until I’ve collected myself…I’m not too hard on myself. I try to be up before seven.

The not-so-average, average day: I’ll get up, take my dog for a walk, move a little bit, have a light breakfast. I work from home, so I don’t typically leave the house, but I get dressed as if I am. Because that way, I’m kind of ready for whatever, whether it’s Zoom meetings, or if I have to run out and do something in person.

Wrapping up: I don’t always do this, but I’ve learned that making a to-do list before you go to sleep rather than when you wake up makes a crazy difference. You just wake up knowing what you have to do, versus waking up and being like, “What do I want to do today?”

In her toolkit: I’ve gotten better at using my calendar so that I actually get the calendar reminders…I do use Asana, but I’m not as good at it as I would like to be. I kind of forget about it after a while. But I always have my phone, I’m always looking at something in my notes.

Getting it done: I’m a big anti-procrastinator. All my friends tell me they work better under pressure. I always challenge them, and I say, if you have a routine and you stick to it, and you’re always ahead, you have more flexibility to take on more opportunities.

Setting goals: I’ve learned to give myself grace—you know, we get places with small steps. I used to be the person who had all of the 1,000 things I wanted to get done for the year on my to-do list every day. And so every day you look at your to-do list and you cross off one or two things, and you’re like, “Oh my God, I did nothing.” I’ve learned to condense it into what is the top priority and what has to get done…so that way, I don’t feel like I’m not making any progress.

Room for improvement: Having consistency for the things that work, because some of the things I mentioned to you, I wish I could say I did it every single day. I do it a lot. I do it more than I did last year; it’s getting better. But it’s not something where every single day looks the same. I still fall off track and have to get myself back together.

Your punch list for when you punch out.

Read: Learn about the Black LGBTQ+ legends you weren’t taught about in history class, like Gladys Bentley, Bayard Rustin, and Pauli Murray, through this Washington Post guide.

Listen: What if your first career was just a start? A recent episode of the Second Life podcast covers Jing Gao’s journey from brand manager to restaurant owner to Fly By Jing founder.

Eat: With a mix of cumin, fennel, turmeric, red chili pepper, peas, and potatoes, these puff pastry dough samosa rolls are a real contender for the best easy-to-whip-up recipe.

Burning questions of our time.

Ah, the office romance. It’s exciting, fun, and…can lead to disastrous consequences for one or both parties involved. While a recent SHRM survey found that 33% of US workers are currently or have previously been involved in a workplace romance, opening that door can be bad news. And though they may be enjoyable in the moment, the reality is that most of these relationships will end in breakups, meaning you’ll have to see Brad in marketing’s face every day until one of you decides to move on to a new company.

As HR Brew reporter Susanna Vogel wrote in a recent article about office romances, it may be smarter to “hope for Jim and Pam, plan for Bridget Jones.”

How do you feel about office romances? Did you find the love of your life across a conference table? Or do they cause more harm than good? Hit Reply and let’s talk! Bonus points if you’ve had an office romance and are willing to share the good, the bad, and the ugly in the inbox.

On the right way to network, Charlotte says:

I’ve joined a Slack group with people from my old company. We update each other when we move roles or are looking for new roles, because we all really enjoyed working with each other. I’ve also joined a Slack group for Women in Data (I work in health care data) and keep an eye out for people introducing themselves with health care backgrounds who might be a good fit for my company and team.