The last two, three weeks have been quite hectic for many of us. Even though I am personally quite used to remote work and I quite enjoy the introverted lifestyle, I am also attuned to my family, friends and colleagues. Staying at home, self-isolating in the hope that it saves human lives is obvious but has been an adjustment to us all.
I hear different reactions to the current lockdowns in various countries.
Many people found the lockdown shocking, challenging and surprising. Those of us who were more aware of the global situation found ourselves pretty surprised with the slow governmental responses in many countries, so we have prepared since late January. Still, the new way of being is unprecedented, so it can promote really mixed feelings and reactions.
Many vulnerable people suffer from a severe lack of access to support or essential resources. Some of the anxious people I talk to actually feel better now that the world starts to understand their every-day challenges.
Those of us who have experienced any form of lockdown before (undemocratic regimes, imprisonment, loneliness) might have been severely triggered in those first few days. Others might feel familiar and prepared for managing the nuances of this new way of living.
Some people love the additional time at home, space to work more effectively, and extra energy to be more productive. Others suffer a severe lack of human contact and struggle to adjust to the new tools and new ways of working.
Many people quickly plan their additional free time, sign up for webinars and online courses and exchange ideas for evening shows. Others focus on work and dive deep into this new way of being – jumping from one call to another.
Those who are at the frontlines of the fight with the pandemic (saving lives, working in media & crisis teams) have so much new pressure to embrace. Some react to this by switching off the news and focusing on staying as relaxed as possible.
Some of us enjoy a quiet way of being. Others seek the connection, set up virtual dinners with friends and connect in WhatsApp groups with their neighbourhood.
Many of us are embracing the power of virtual connections. Many of us are also increasingly tired of lack of the human touch.
All of those reactions are perfectly normal and understandable. They are all human ways of reacting to change. The few weeks of working just remotely are hectic. That’s OK.
The web is full of ideas, support and useful information to keep us busy, but here at Voxel Hub, I have decided to hold off on that a little bit. For the first week of the lockdown in the UK at least, I stayed steady and available to the people who needed me the most.
So this week I will be starting my posts about remote work and other aspects of digital wellbeing for the current times. However, today I would like to take a moment and share with you three short videos I recorded for myself last weekend to take a moment and simply breathe.
A sunny snapshot of our garden rosemary – the bees made me feel hopeful:
Short video from my allotment walk – it’s nice to see the birds enjoy the sudden quiet of our city:
A windy moment & forget-me-nots from our garden, reminding me that turbulent times are OK and will pass:
Enjoy, stay well and stay safe in the way that is most suitable for you and your networks.
