The media is all too happy to remind us that it's been just over a year since Covid-19 became a significant concern in the United States. And it was last weekend last year that many areas, my home state included, closed schools for two weeks. Shutdowns and stay-at-home orders quickly followed to help 'flatten the curve'.
A lot has happened in the past year but also, a lot hasn't happened in the past year. And as I reflect on moving forward in living life, there are definitely some lessons I want to be sure I remember as we as a nation are ready and desiring this new normal to take shape as soon as it possibly can.
1) I want to keep a more a slightly slower pace of life. For instance, I've learned that when I have a day flat full of meetings, the next day I'm rather tired and I will be more productive if I can keep meetings to a minimum. But I'm an introvert and I'm wired for slower paces and alone time to refuel.
2) I have missed swimming regularly but any sort of exercise is good. Exercise simply feels good. Now that I have a highly energetic pup, we are doing regular walks. Exercise helps keep the crazy at bay.
3) I have missed swimming and I will get back into it, I now have my own kickboard. But I will need to give myself a bit of grace as I rebuild endurance. My first swim in 7-8 months coincided with the first day of spring. I swam 1200 yds in a little over 30 minutes. And I started and ended my swim with a 200 breast stroke.
4) I love working from home. Several years ago, I didn't think I would love working from home, but I do. My organization has announced plans to keep with a hybrid work model to where most people can work from home but must remain available for in-person collaboration two days a week if you live near one the offices.
5) Getting dressed will get me into work mode. Generally, I think starting work from the office first thing Mondays will help me personally. I'm all about comfort clothes, but if I have to get up, put on something other than yoga pants, and go to the office on a Monday to complete part of my job duties - that will help get back into a 'back-to-work' stage early in the work week after the weekend.
6) Work/Other life boundaries are still needed. Working from home allows me to easily work extra hours when needed. But that's the key - it will be up to me to make sure that 'when needed' doesn't become 24/7 - 365 days a year. It's up to each person to determine what such a balance looks like. Right now, I feel I'm in a good spot.
7) Looking after your neighbor, family member, and co-worker are still important and will continue to be needed. This past year has been hands down one of the most divisive I've observed in my nation. Divisions abound politically and over how best to react to Covid-19. Tensions run high. And as ready as I am to become slightly more active in my day-to-day life, I do want to be aware of the comfort level others around me may have to be out and doing things. Thus far, I have not caught Covid-19 myself. And I'd rather not get it or any other illness thank you. But I do want to be aware that even with a vaccine, Covid-19 can still spread and it may cause more harm to others. I hope to maintain an attitude of kindness and consider those who feel the need to be more cautious when it comes to Covid-19 or who feel differently than I do politically.
8) God is still God. I'm in a place of amazement over current circumstances. I'm back working full-time where I've spent the majority of the past eight years and my confidence level in what I'm doing is rather high because I sought an opportunity elsewhere and gained valuable experience working with a sophisticated database / CRM system that is now helping me in my current role. Only God could have orchestrated such a path. And my CEO has coined a new term of 'Boomerang employees'. There are several of us who left (for good reasons) but somehow boomeranged back. That should be a new metric to measure.
9) It takes a long time for hair to grow out. About nine months before the pandemic, I got a super cute hairdo and it was much shorter. And then Covid-19. We were encouraged to not go to hair salads - many closed for a time. It's taken nearly 13 months for my hair to grow out to where I can put all of it in a ponytail again. So yes, I want to remember how long it took my hair to grow out before I cut it short again.
There is more to be said;Covid-19 hasn't gone away. Some countries are continuing to struggle and still experiencing lockdowns. But my gut feeling (which could be wrong) is that Covid-19 isn't just going to go away - that we will need to learn to live with it. This will require wisdom, patience, and kindness. May God have mercy on us all. May the variants stop developing - may the vaccines be effective against the variants.
