Your new Covid world

How has Covid-19 changed your world? In late 2020 we were all hearing about this strange virus that was affecting people in a place named Wuhan in China. If you know China then Wuhan has quite a history but at the time this place was brand new to me. It wasn’t on my to do list. I’d heard and been to a Chinese night market but a wet market? Did I need my umbrella? All of these new things being broadcast to us through the news outlets, printed press, internet and social media. Little did we know the impact that this turn of events would have on peoples lives around the world. The virus that became the global pandemic was and is Covid-19. A highly infectious virus that has ravaged countries all across the globe. The medical profession is still coming to terms with how to treat the virus and just beginning to understand the long term effects of the virus. Lockdowns, quarantine, isolation, track and trace all new experiences for modern society to deal with. If somebody told me what was coming in Summer 2020 would I have believed them? Would you? The summer of 2020 was a memorable summer for me. My youngest brother got married. I scattered my fathers ashes in his beloved Venice and I turned the new 30…….40! My 2 children were developing into their own amazing characters and I was busy planning a ski tour around Switzerland in my recently purchased campervan. Then Covid hit. Images of Wuhan airport staff manning thermal imaging cameras at check-in wearing Hazmat suits were the first intimations that this was quite serious. Then the first reports of “UK cases”. Followed by Borris sat in Downing street informing us of an unprecedented lock down. A lock down? We had entered the world of science fiction. Now some new terminology to get used to. Furlough, Remote schooling, social distancing. Working from home while teaching children brings a new understanding to the term multi-tasking. Had it not been for mother nature dealing us some of the best weather the UK had seen for sometime, then the situation could have been far worse. Just having the luxury of good weather in Britain was a true blessing. A 2 month lockdown followed that presented challenges but also presented opportunities. Families fragmented by work commitments and social clutter were able to spend more time together, pollution dropped worldwide as air travel and commuting ground to a halt and in my family, the escapism that running presented was gratefully accepted by my wife and I who discovered that 40mins of physical torture was in fact mentally stimulating and quite a stress outlet after a day teaching year 1 math’s and English whilst simultaneously entertaining our pre-school daughter. We found that we adapted well as a group. The whole Covid situation presented hurdles and obstacles that had to be overcome to allow us to to continue to develop our children, manage our finances, continue our work and to remain sane!!!

Adaptation is critical for survival. When the environment changes you need to change with it. The ability to adapt is an essential quality of any person, group, team or business. When obstacles present themselves they prevent you from continuing in a linear path hence them being called obstacles. Success is measured on the ability to identify the change, adapt to it and negotiate it to a better position. We all have the ability to adapt. Its often habitual behaviours that prevent us from adapting. The safety net of routine can be a net used to imprison you. When a second lockdown was announced in November the eyes of the nation rolled with the thought. But we adapted quicker as we had already conquered this challenge. We had mechanisms in place to manage this change be it home schooling, remote working or the pre-planned 40 minute escape run. Experience of change and how to manage it can be a a skill honed on minor changes and adaptations. When the time comes where a real challenge is ahead you can have the confidence that you are ready. Don’t be afraid of having that honesty to admit the problems you face. By doing this you can plan how to tackle them rather than carrying on in the linear path until you stop dead in your tracks.

Covid is something that will not be going away. It has caused devastation in all 4 corners of the world. But it has taught us how to manage crisis and more importantly shocked us into adaptation. Don’t be afraid to adapt and embrace change. Be it at a professional, personal or social level. Reflect, review and adapt.

Most Importantly Stay Safe.