“What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours” are the opening lines of the 1950s Dinah Washington hit and indeed, the extraordinary changes brought about by the COVID-19 virus, will for some individuals, have looked scary and uncompromising.
Many individuals will have been focused and worried about the personal implications, the impact of the changes that governments have introduced on their lives and on the lives of those they care deeply for.
Many people have been thinking about the problems and hardships to be faced; the ‘lack of’ things including the lack of financial security, the scarcity of tinned foods, dried pasta and toilet paper. Others have been looking at how to keep themselves and their families occupied and engaged with life whilst cocooned in their homes. Some individuals and groups initially chose to ignore pleas for restraint made by various parties and continued on with their lives as normal.
But what a difference a day can make and how quickly what we all took for granted as being “normal” has been pulled away to be just out of our reach.
Now we are becoming a community in the true sense of the word; we are starting to think more openly and collectively to offer solutions to the things many individuals have been wrestling with. We are seeing people reach outside of themselves, to volunteer, to communicate with one another more frequently and ensure those outside our usual sphere of family and friends are being cared for. As a community we are becoming more inventive about how we can adapt and change our lifestyle habits and are tuning into the qualities which are essential for the enrichment of our lives: keeping physically and mentally healthy, connecting with others, being thankful, giving to or helping others and doing something we enjoy.
We are now beginning to look at a “new normal” and this may be prompting a few questions we haven’t made time or created space to think about before. You may be asking yourself questions such as:
· What is truly important to me and those I care about?
· What do I value most?
· What can I learn from these experiences and how can I share this with others?
· What will my future involve following this period of change?
· If the stress of an uncertain future was removed, what opportunities would I be looking for?
Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to take stock, think and re-programme our old beliefs to create new pathways which are in keeping with what we truly value. The scale of the change society is experiencing means that we now, perhaps more than ever before, have the chance to create our “new normal”. What is your “new normal” going to be?
If you are having trouble defining what you’d like your “new normal” to be, Kea Insight is here to support you. Please get in touch if this resonates with you. Meanwhile, please stay safe and stay well.