New beginnings
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE DOING POST LOCKDOWN?
Most change models talk about the ‘no man’s land’ in the middle of any change process – this is the part that comes after the letting go of the old but before the embracing of the new. It can be a difficult time because we feel in flux and may feel confusion and distress. However, it is also the seedbed for new beginnings.
As the lockdown starts to ease, take a moment to think about the elements of the lockdown that you have enjoyed and want to continue doing. This will be different for all of us. For some it might be a re-evaluation of their life – their job, where they live, how they work. I have heard of people deciding to relocate, change their career or buy a puppy as they plan to work from home more. Others have enjoyed the health benefits of an enforced period of time at home, according to YouGov 300,000 people have stopped smoking and the hashtag #QuitForCOVID started trending on social media to encourage more to give up the habit. We have become friendlier with our neighbours, the sense of community that has emerged during this crisis has helped us all to feel more connected. We have also been moving more, with many of us benefiting from the lack of commute and using this time instead to exercise.
Our diets have also improved, I have noticed the benefits of sitting down every evening as a family and eating a meal we have cooked from scratch. Pre lockdown we would only have the opportunity to sit down together at the weekend, and this family focused time together has been wonderful. Overall it has been estimated that nearly two-thirds of Britons will return to the workplace by the end of August. As we prepare our children for going back to school, as we talk to our employees about returning to the physical office, as we brace ourselves for the economic impact this lockdown has brought about, let’s take a moment to pause. Not only have the health, wellbeing and community benefits been welcome, the environmental benefits of this period have been huge. Let us not go back to the way things were. We were well overdue a change.
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