Should you, would you, could you, change?
/At the beginning of COVID-19, many of us made the challenging transition to working from home. This includes being an active participant in the “virtual workplace” and sacrificing the little space we have in our shoebox apartments to be a dedicated work space. But going on seven months, organizations are also adjusting to their new normal, industries are regaining their footing in the markets and for the rest of us – well we are waiting in the balance. These changes have prompted the question that if you had the opportunity, would you return to your former office space with a dedicated office, actual LIVE human interaction and lunch breaks? Or would you make the choice to relish in the flexible home office space (couch + laptop) that many people have now adjusted to?
As the world around us slowly begins to define what our new normal will look like, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on some of the big adjustments, small wins and key takeaways from (kinda) working and living amid a pandemic.
Big Adjustment: Coming to terms with the re-definition of “social” time
As a self-proclaimed introvert, prior to the onset of the pandemic, a bulk of my daily social interactions took place at work so in that respect, COVID-19 didn’t have the same impact on me as some of my friends. That being said, with the transition to working remotely from my apartment, it forced me to re-assess my social interactions, how I communicate and what kind of human interaction I actually need on a day to day basis. I know for many this was one of the biggest adjustments to make in the wake of COVID-19, but for me, it has also resulted in stronger relationships with everyone in my life because communication became increasingly intentional. Have you felt the strain of COVID-19 on your social life and had to adjust the way you communicate and get those social interactions you need?
Small Win: Gaining the time and space to re-focus
I don’t know about you, but prior to COVID-19, the pressure of family, friends, work, finances and the list goes on, really diminished my ability to take a step back from the chaos to re-focus. Ironically, in all of the external chaos resulting from the onset of COVID-19, it provided the space to re-focus on myself and what I want to accomplish. Should life return to “normal,” remembering to create the space needed in order to evaluate and re-direct if needed will be something that I will likely now make a point of doing on a more regular basis.
Key Takeaway: Creating your own opportunities isn’t selfish
Everything from which grocery store you go to for your weekly shop, to how you catch up with your best friend has been influenced in some way by COVID-19. This has become a challenge that everyone has had to overcome in one way or another. Something I realized a few months ago is that you really need to create your own opportunities or moments; not just in the context of the pandemic, but beyond as well. During this time, I found that I have lost control over many different aspects of my life that if you would have asked me a year ago, I had complete control over. This experience has taught me that opportunities don’t always just happen they can, and should, be created; including, but not limited to getting back in touch with an old friend, making a lifestyle change or re-evaluating your career.
This experience is (hopefully) once in a lifetime, and taking the time to reflect on what you have learned and what you might do to re-focus yourself may just save you some time in the future.
Let us know what some of your key takeaways, small wins or big adjustments have been during the last 7 months by dropping us a line in the comments!
Blog post by Georgia Crawshaw. Georgia is a Social Media Coordinator for YWiB Vancouver.