2 years ago we packed up our laptops thinking we were heading off to work from home for 2 weeks. Will I bring my screen? Is there any point in bringing my keyboard? The chorus of ‘See you in 2 weeks’, ‘Have a lovely St. Patrick’s weekend’, as we joyously headed off, delighted not to have to commute for the next 2 weeks…imagine!
2 weeks later, reality hit as we realised that we might not be going back to the office for the foreseeable future. Or even worse, the economic downturn between 2008 and 2010 rang in our ears and the fear of being made redundant again weighed heavy upon us.
Finding inner peace…although I now sound like a Yakult or some similar probiotic!
But not only were our jobs in jeopardy, but people were also dying on a daily basis, ICU figures were increasing and no one knew what to do to protect ourselves, our elderly relatives and our livelihoods.
Have we learned to change?
But low and behold here we all are 2 years later, back to commuting but thankfully only on a 2-day-per-week basis for the moment (given the price of diesel though it now equates to the same cost as when we were commuting for 5 days…but we won’t go there!).
We’re here, we’re alive, but what have we really learned over the past 2 years during Covid?
We’ve learned to change.
We’ve learned to adapt to new ways of life, new ways of doing everyday things…meetings, grocery shopping, visiting people.
We’ve learned we’re a lot more resilient than we thought we were.
We’ve learned who is important to us, learned self-care, taken measures to change our lives to find inner peace…although I now sound like a Yakult or some similar probiotic!
Yes, we’ve all learned the benefits of working from home but we’ve also learned the benefits of going back to the office…we’ve learned to isolate, both mentally and physically…but we’ve also come to appreciate the presence of others.
After all, if we don’t change, then what’s the point?
