It’s been three years since the start of the pandemic, and over time we’ve eased back into many activities that were halted by the lockdowns. This month, we checked in with one another to see how our lives have changed over the course of the pandemic, from rekindling old passions, discovering new ones, as well as how they’ve been navigating our shift to a more hybrid work setup.
Re-Entering Familiar Territory
S6 employees have always been a sporty bunch—Hannah, our head of marketing, shared her excitement about being able to return to dragon boat: “I surely missed racing and training with my teammates! During the pandemic, we obviously couldn’t paddle because we need to be outdoors to do that. We also resorted to working out online and doing crossfit because we had no access to the gym.”
A number of us have also gotten back into running, cycling, swimming, you name it. Xiao, our Design Manager, shared how she’s climbed 12 mountains since 2021!
“It’s not a lot compared to my other mountaineering peers in the club, but that’s a lot compared to my usual frequency even before the pandemic. Being in nature is healing, and it’s fulfilling to come out of it in the end knowing you were able to overcome the physical and mental challenge it brings.”
at dragonboat training
We also welcomed the return of many large-scale events. Music has always been big at Secret 6, so concerts and musicals are high on the list of activities we’ve missed! According to one of our artists, Jin, “I find the experience and emotion in concerts or music festivals impossible to replicate virtually.”
For some, art and video game conventions and festivals are their go-to events now that they’re back—Jhorlie, another of our artists, shared how much she missed boothing in conventions: “I always enjoy meeting my supporters and selling my artwork. I also get to meet most of my friends this way!”
We’ve also seen the resurgence of a long-time favorite at the company: D&D and Magic the Gathering! For some reason, a lot of our new hires during the pandemic have also come out as enthusiasts, making the scene all the more exciting for everyone.
Discovering New Passions
The changes brought about by COVID-19 have also given us an opportunity to discover new ways of living, to entertain ourselves and to unwind after a long day.
One thing that’s great to see is the more active pursuit of health among us—people are taking up martial arts, getting into weightlifting, and many of us have learned mindfulness activities! Carlos, one of our senior 3D artists from the Madrid team, shared with a laugh, “I remember at the beginning of the pandemic I had abs! I learned how important it is to move and train the body and mind.” Building skills in art, music and other creative pursuits have also proven therapeutic for many of us.
And then there’s food—considering the amount of time we’ve all had to spend at home, it’s no surprise that many of us have learned how to cook! What’s awesome is that most of us have not only learned how to cook, we’ve specifically learned how to cook healthier meals, which has not only helped us physically, but emotionally as well.
According to Stephen, one of our knowledge management specialists, “...it’s therapeutic for me, and I get a sense of fulfillment from making something [good] while also being able to take care of my body. Cooking has helped me take it a bit more slowly in my life, and I’ve developed a greater sense of responsibility as a result.”
The Office as a Safe Space
We recently moved and reopened our Manila office at the iconic Exquadra Tower. After our shift to a more hybrid setup, we’ve since repurposed it, so that employees are free to use the office as a co-working or event space.
Harvey, one of our designers, shared that “going to the office to meet my teammates face-to-face is cool as well…we can discuss without having to worry about meaning getting lost over the Internet. It’s just that there’s something different about F2F, you know? The design workshops and training are all very helpful too!”
Onsite training, client engagements and even team bonding activities have been increasing at the office, and we’re finally getting more opportunities to meet many of the team members we hired over the pandemic, and in person for the first time!
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The Never-Ending Pursuit of Balance
At Secret 6, we’re always striving to achieve a work-life balance, which has earned its rightful spot as a top-level conversation among businesses as a result of the shift to remote work. With most earning a newfound freedom from not having to commute daily, as well as the blur between the home and the work space, we checked in to see how the people at Secret 6 manage all of this power.
Here are some of the best tips on work-life balance in the hybrid workspace:
- Take a break!
With the introduction of the non-linear workday, we’ve given ourselves space to listen to our bodies and to understand that everyone can be productive at varying times every day. If you have to ask if you need a break, you probably already need one—we’ve also been able to prioritize getting a good night’s sleep!
Paul from QA shares, “Getting a full 8 hours of sleep is a must for me…this lets me function the best throughout the shift. I will always try to have this even when things return to “normal.””
- Converting travel to training
Now that many of us don’t have to grapple with the daily commute, a lot of our time has been spent getting proper, regular exercise. This can be as simple as a home workout, or going to the nearest gym—this supports another tip we often hear about setting clear boundaries about where we work, where we rest, and in this case, where we go to exercise!
- Nurture relationships
“Right after my shift, I’ll feed my dogs and eat dinner. I will then draw personal artwork or practice until bedtime. Personally, that helped me grow as an artist,” shared Jhorlie. Whether that’s going out on an adventure or staying at home to work on a personal craft, we’ve seen people give more importance to spending quality time and being truly disconnected from work, which allows us to come back refreshed and with more inspiration to build amazing games.
- Curate your environment
Building on Tip #2, it’s possible that some don’t have the luxury of a large space to physically separate their work and rest areas. Alternatively, many of us have recognized the benefits of investing in the space that we do have—a little personality goes a long way here! Decorating one’s space to inspire or to increase productivity has been helpful to many of us, and others have also promoted improving the ergonomics of your workspace.
A pro-tip from our artist, Jin: get a good chair! Your back will thank you for it!
A Future of Fun
The World Health Organization recently ended the global health emergency status of COVID-19. While that doesn’t mean the threat is over, we look at it as a sign of hope that we'll soon be able to pursue even more of the things that we love. We’re excited to see what passions our team will discover next, and we look forward to sharing those with you in the future!
If you think working with and learning with our team up your alley, check out our Careers page to learn more about how to join us.
