At this point it is safe to say Covid-19 has drastically changed our world. From the way we work to the way we shop–even to the way we socialize and interact with others– the world is changing. At some point it will stabilize into some kind of new normal. However, we aren’t nearly there yet and while we struggle to comprehend what this new landscape will look like, we should remember changes aren’t just occurring at external levels. With the extra time imposed by the quarantine, we’ve had a lot of time to reflect. Probably more than many of us are comfortable with. We’ve had time to reflect on our personal journeys. Time to pause and consider the road on which we are travelling. Do we like it? Is this the road we originally chose? Did we take a detour somewhere along the way that set us on a path to a whole different–and not necessarily desired–destination?
The pandemic has affected everyone, but the effects of the quarantine are intensely personal. We have been shut in our homes, trying to make sense of things. Trying to figure out how to balance a whole new set of norms. Working from home–if you’re lucky enough to do so. Home schooling, maintaining social connections when those connections are going haywire. And for many of us, this mandated pause is unnerving on a whole different level. It has actually forced us to stop. Stop rushing. Stop ignoring what we’ve been feeling or missing. It has forced us to reflect on who we are and what we believe to be truly important. Many times those answers have been surprising as they bubble to the surface. And yet, even as we isolate in our homes, we have begun to feel a new connection to others around us, even if there is no physical contact. Thanks to social media, we see how this isolation is affecting all of us, creating a bond that previously did not exist.
Some people may choose not to take advantage of the time for reflection. They may not be in the office, but they still rush through the day. Work is still all-consuming, allowing them to avoid what is going on around them or how they feel about the situation. Not only are they still working, they now have the added stress of managing a family continuously staying under one roof. I know many people who are just as busy–or busier– than they have ever been. It’s a type of protection, a mantle they wear proudly. It protects them from examining the course of their lives. Without time to reflect, there is no need to have an honest conversation about the direction in which they are headed.
Others have had a different experience. Using this time to reflect, they realize what they thought was important has paled, has changed. Perhaps they planned to make a difference in the world, yet found they only really made a difference in their own worlds. And while there is nothing wrong with that, they recognize it hasn’t been as satisfying or fulfilling as they had expected. Regardless, they have continued onward, day after day, year after year. It seems only now can they stop and consider options.
These are the people who have used the shelter in place time to examine their choices and lives and make changes while there is still time to adjust course. Perhaps they found a different way to do business to better serve their customers and their staff. Or perhaps they realigned the organizational mission to match their own core values. Or perhaps some realized they were on the wrong path completely and used this time to chart a new course. Some changes may be made by necessity. Others because it is the right thing to do so they feel aligned with their own purpose. Either way, ultimately it’s a good thing.
Personal change comes from a rise in self awareness. The shelter in place orders gave many of us the time to focus on ourselves. Time we often denied ourselves in the pre-covid-19 world as we simply tried to make it through the day. However, when we stop to pay attention to what is going on inside as well as around us, amazing things can happen. We become more aware, on a physical as well as emotional level. We become more mindful of our surroundings, our feelings, and those surrounding us. Where this leads is a personal choice, and that is the beauty of mindfulness.
Mindfulness allows us to make informed, proactive choices so that our actions and our lives are more aligned with our own personal, core, values. The problem is that mindfulness isn’t easy. And we as a society are now trained to look for easy. To find an app which solves the current problems. There are plenty of mindfulness apps out there, and I’m sure they have many benefits. But mindfulness is about being aware of yourself and your surroundings, about looking inside. While an app can point you in the right direction, it isn’t a long term solution. A mindfulness practice, such as daily meditation is a much better tool for establishing a mindful lifestyle.
While the arc of the universe set us on this self-reflective path at the onset of 2020, it seems as though personal reflection was only the beginning. Just as we began to feel some relief, rightly or wrongly, from the idea of societal reopening, that arc placed the murder of George Floyd squarely in front of us. Suddenly the idea of raising personal awareness wasn’t just about our own lives and living up to our values to fulfill our own meaning. Suddenly we were forced to face the values of our society and not so veiled racism and implicit biases many of us unwittingly accepted while growing up.
People ask why the murder of George Floyd is different. Why should this murder be the crucible that finally ignites change and growth on a societal and possibly even global level? Perhaps it is because we have been living within the crucible of Covid-19. We have all been under a great deal of pressure, with a great deal of time to reflect on our own behaviors, desires, values, and ideals. Some of us began to imagine different worlds for ourselves. Worlds in which we could live more in alignment with our own values, creating what for us would be more perfect worlds. Most importantly, for the first time in quite a while, many of us were becoming comfortable with the idea of self-reflection and personal examination. The groundwork was being set for personal change, and that fertile groundwork became the catalyst for change on grander scale.
The reset button so many of us have been pondering during the pandemic has now taken on greater significance. What is the use of making fundamental changes in our own behaviors and actions in order to live more authentically if we do not expand that ideal to include those around us? For so long we have allowed ourselves to ignore our own shortcomings. To ignore the disconnect between our own values and our actions. We have been able to quietly look away. We no longer have that luxury. The pandemic which gave us the time and space to examine our own issues has expanded the scope of that reflection to include our roles and responsibilities within society.
These are excruciatingly difficult times. Exploring needed change within ourselves is hard enough. Shining a light on things we would rather not acknowledge about ourselves is something most of us avoid whenever possible. It becomes even more painful when we realize we have fallen prey to unconscious bias and racism. Most of us do not like to believe we are racist, but more and more we realize we share that burden, however unlikely it may have seemed just a few months ago.
It is impossible to say where the events of 2020 will lead. At this point, It is almost inevitable many of us will push the reset button at a personal level due to reflection wrought by covid-19. Whether we have the courage to push that reset button for society remains to be seen. However, given the speed with which events are occuring, it would seem the opportunity–and responsibility–to create a world more aligned with personal as well as universal values of justice, fairness, and equality for all is one we cannot ignore, if only we have the courage to do so.
Chris Griffin is an executive coach with over twenty-five years’ experience in corporate senior management. With an understanding of the corporate mindset, business owners’ trials, and human psychology, Chris helps his clients navigate and leverage change within the different stages of their lives and careers. He holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology and certifications in both wellness coaching and workplace wellness.