The Pandemic, A Glimpse of Sunshine
I still remember how dysregulated I felt during Covid. We all did. I also remember how strange it was to go for a walk during the day and see families with their dogs and kids enjoying the sunshine. I talked to my neighbors and actually got to know them. Their lives, their fears, their views on work and the future. People were connecting and if felt really different, in a good way.
I will forever believe that Covid, while horrible, provided us an opportunity to redefine our lives. To find more balance, greater purpose and improved overall physical and even mental health. People stopped for a minute. They realized they wanted more from life and their eyes were opened. Then something happened.
We Created a Monster
As we re-designed our lives, we also had to redesign our work to survive the new reality. Zoom and Teams and other online virtual meetings became the new normal. Instead of purposeful meetings we increased frenetic activity. Less water, less movement, no lunches, just a protein bar while we yelled at our kids and the dog because they were too loud while we worked. The even worse part is we stopped to break to even go to the bathroom to avoid being late to another meeting…seriously? We swung the pendulum all the way back and everyone bought in. Now employees are less connected to humans and the impact has been a dramatic increase in anxiety, depression and loneliness. I am not surprised, are you?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Irene’s Substack to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.