#WeAreArity Wednesday: Sneha Rao

What do you do with the extra time working from home that you wouldn’t get to do working in person?

This really changed a lot in my life. It’s been such a blessing that I’ve been able to spend more time with my family and not have to worry about getting on a train and going back home or sitting in traffic and being much more burnt out when I get home.

I love that. You disconnect, and you have more time to spend with family. I really cherish that. It’s been a game changer since I’ve started working from home.

My husband works from home as well, so I think it’s really nice that you end your workday and you’re there.

What is an easy way to do something nice for someone?

An easy way to do something nice for someone is always give a person the benefit of the doubt. I’ve seen this play out really well at work and at home. When you’re listening to someone talk – no matter what the behavior is, no matter what the tone is, no matter what’s going on, always try to be the person that doesn’t take things at face value.

An easy way to do something nice for someone is always give a person the benefit of the doubt.

Don’t read more than you need to and give people the chance to fully express what they want to express. Also, try to create a safe space for them so they feel comfortable to talk. Just being there to listen to someone is really important because everyone wants to be heard.

Every day, it’s a small and easy thing you can do to make a really positive impact.

What fictional family would you most like to join?

I’m a big fan of sitcoms. Just for how crazy and funny they all were, I think I would like to be a part of Frasier.

Frasier was a very popular sitcom. They took a character, Frasier, from Cheers. They had an offshoot of that series. Frasier divorces his wife, and then he moves across the U.S. to Seattle and establishes a psychiatric practice. He goes there because he’s from the area, his father lives there, and his brother who is also a psychiatrist lives there. And the show is all about his life.

It’s super dysfunctional. Probably the most cleverly written show that I’ve seen. It’s hysterical. If you ever want a good laugh, watch Frasier.

That’s a family, but another fictional place I would love to live in and work in is Parks and Rec. I would be happy in a Parks and Rec!

Are you more productive in the morning or at night?

Definitely the morning.

What is your schedule in the morning?

6:30 a.m. I wake up. Then I get ready for the day, prep breakfast for my son, eat breakfast, and get ready for work. I get a lot done in the first hour.

I can’t be a night person anymore because I just crash at the end of the day. There are days like last night my toddler stayed up until 11:30 p.m., but I prefer to wind down at 10 or 10:30 p.m.

What is your favorite season? Why?

I love spring. I love it a lot more now because I was in Chicago for a long time, and there’s not much for spring. It’s a lot of rain.

But out here in California, which is a warmer climate, everything just blooms and opens up. It’s just so beautiful to walk around and drive around.

Imagine you no longer have to work. How would you spend a Tuesday?

I would have breakfast at my own pace. Breakfast is my most favorite time of the day. I really cherish being able to enjoy my cup of coffee.

I would go out and do some gardening – just see how all my plants are doing. Then, I would prep and have a nice lunch. After, I would spend time reading or watching a show.

In the afternoon, I would definitely take a nap. Then, I would wake up, have some tea, go for a walk or a workout. I would come back, have a nice dinner, read some more or listen to music – and call that a day!

Beach holiday or ski trip?

I would say beach holiday because I’m not very good with winter sports. And at this point in time, I would love to be in Hawaii or in one of the islands off the Indian Ocean. A beach trip is always great.

What is your favorite way to practice self-care?

Two things. If you love a spa day, do a spa day. I do it at home because I don’t have the time to go out anymore – but squeeze that in. If there’s anything that makes you feel superficially happy, do it because that matters.

But otherwise, be forgiving of yourself. We tend to be so harsh with ourselves. It’s always “I wish I’ve done that better” or “I wish had pushed towards that goal so much harder than I did.” No, we all go through life in different ways, and our ambition and interest ebbs and flows. And if on a certain day you didn’t do very well or you feel like you could have done better, sure – but there are other factors that took away your attention or took away your mental space a little bit. So, be forgiving of yourself. Treat yourself the way you would treat your closest friends.

Just be nice to yourself. For me, that’s my biggest form of self-care.