Brave New World: Social Distancing Edition

Hello, Covid-19, hello, world. Wow, a lot has changed, hasn't it?

Like you, I've had all the thoughts. The paranoid thoughts, the frightening ones, the despair, and feelings of resignation.

I think about getting the coronavirus and dying from it—alone here in Portugal—and just when life was getting really good! But mostly, I think about less lizard brain stuff, like the effect this pandemic is having on our society and the long-term repercussions.

The effects of Covid-19 are vast and far-reaching.

Photo by Matthew Tkocz on Unsplash

No part of life—social, work, or the economy—has been untouched. And, as we are in uncharted territory, we are just beginning to understand how these reverberations will play out over time.

CONSIDER WORK LIFE

For most people, working in close contact with others for 8 hours a day is the norm. If unlike me you have a job-job, then you have workplace routines that you may not have given much thought to. You go into work each day, see most of the same faces, drink coffee and chat with your favorite people around whatever passes for the water cooler these days. Oh, and you do some work.

But now, grinding halt! You are told to "work from home" by your boss. So, you take the office laptop, and whatever other necessary supplies, and you go home. Now what?

You've always loved the idea of working from home in your pajamas (major perk, I can confirm). But, other than the occasional work from home day, you are unaccustomed to working this way—especially five days a week.

Multiply this confusion by thousands of other workers being told to work from home, and we have a potential work-identity crisis on our hands. Regular 9-5ers are not being prepared to work from home successfully. And if employers are not providing guidelines for what the directive “work from home” entails, well, I fear we’ll have a new crew of disgruntled and possibly depressed workers as they try to navigate their new landscape.

SOCIAL LIFE

Lots of people use work life as an extension of social life. But social life, whether working with others or alone, is taking a big hit as we all learn how to manage social distancing during the age of Covid-19. I imagine each day of this pandemic will offer new opportunities to experiment with how to stay connected while at the same time being isolated.

For introverts, this social distancing and isolating ourselves from crowds, gatherings, etc. is just business-as-usual. We were made for this challenge—bring it on, I say. The extroverts, and those who thrive in high-touch situations like an office setting, are going to have a rough time with this enforced solitude and at home-ness.

FOMO, fear of missing out, is not typically an introvert thing. We prefer our days and evenings to be filled with time and space to contemplate and do things we enjoy, which generally are not group activities.

My introvert friends are readers and writers, illustrators and artists, tea and coffee-sippers, and more. We like learning a variety of subjects—going deep and broad—and this enforced time out will be used as a positive outcome of this pandemic. Not saying I'd choose a pandemic just for permission to stay in, but I will be sure to use the time wisely to learn and read and take care of my health.

So, what can we learn about our social lives during this time? How do we stay connected, and how can we benefit from spending time alone, something that so many people avoid doing?

THE FRIEND HOUR

Consider creating a friend hour once a week, where you gather with a few friends via Skype or FaceTime to discuss how you are managing and to share the things you're are grateful for. Use this time to practice deep listening and to develop your empathy skills (those traits will serve all of us now, and when this thing is over).

I maintain weekly scheduled calls with two of my besties, but a friend hour would enhance and strengthen those already close connections. Is this something you'd like to do? What ideas do you have for staying connected while physically apart?

AND THE ECONOMY

Fear and panic-buying do nothing to calm the nerves or strengthen our immune systems and they certainly won’t stop this pandemic from infiltrating every part of our lives.

This pandemic can bring out the best, or the worst, in us. We see the worst being displayed by people who disregard others' wellbeing and concerns, and in resource-hoarding at the expense of the greater good.

Planning for a two-week supply of essentials—canned and shelf-stable foods, especially nutrient-dense foods like nuts, whole grains, and legumes, medications, and yes, toilet paper, is reasonable and smart. But buying an army's worth of toilet paper and clearing the shelves at your local grocery is just bad behavior.

Businesses, especially in places like Portugal, will go under. We are in extreme lockdown with schools and all civic venues and activities closed and essential places like grocery stores on limited hours (with only a few people allowed in at a time). More businesses will close and lots of people will be out of work; it will be difficult to come back from this economic downturn the longer this pandemic goes on.

IN CONCLUSION, SORT OF

Selfish people will say screw the directives, claiming the virus doesn't apply to them as they are not in a high-risk category. Then they'll take their un-neighborly-like selves out into the world with little regard for others potentially endangering those with compromised immune systems or other health risks.

I see this attitude in a few younger acquaintances—and to them, I ask that they consider their privilege—to check their ageism, ableism, and to weigh their capacity for empathy. We are all in this together; rogue members of the tribe endanger us all.

When dealing with human nature and pandemics, it pays to remember that perception is reality.

If everyone freaks out and acts like it's the end of days, well, that's precisely what it will be. and no, I don't advocate for a Pollyanna attitude; I advocate for science and behavior based on what the smartest scientists working in the fields of epidemiology and global pandemics know and instruct us to do.

We cannot wish this pandemic away, nor can we burn enough incense to clear our homes of the virus. But we can make sound choices based on the best and most current information, along with compassion, empathy, and humanity.

As a species, we have an opportunity brought about by this virus to become the best of who we can be. We are at a turning point—so which way will we go? Will we let the lizard brain lead us to become even more selfish and frightened, or will we pull together and practice habits that will slow the pandemic and strengthen our communities through empathy and support to those most vulnerable?

You get to choose—which way do you want to go?

Additional Reading:

Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now (aimed at politicians and leaders, but essential reading, IMHO)

What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus: The Atlantic’s guide to understanding COVID-19

This Coronavirus Is Unlike Anything in Our Lifetime, and We Have to Stop Comparing It to the Flu

What would happen if the world reacted to climate change like it’s reacting to the coronavirus?