In addition to new phrases making their way into our everyday conversation such as “social distancing” and “new normal”, COVID19 has affected our daily lives as we know it, and it’s hitting home. Literally.
The global coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has unexpectedly forced us to reshape the way we look at our homes. It has quickly brought us closer to examining the bridge between work and home. In many cases, we’ve come to realize our jobs can in fact be executed from the comfort of our couch or kitchen island, turning our living spaces into make-shift home offices. With the mobility of a laptop, cell phone and cup of coffee, Mom can conference call on the back deck and Dad can pop in his headphones and ZOOM from bed with a fancy background disguising his whereabouts. (Or accidentally turn himself into a potato. Chances are you’ve either seen it in person, seen the internet memes, or you have no idea what we’re talking about ;)
Potatoes aside, pun intended, humankind has reached another milestone of evolution. We have accepted, adapted, and overcome. Are we perfect? Of course not. Will we continue to make mistakes, miscalculate and misinform? Absolutely. What we know for certain, is that we truly are in this together. In what other reality can we see local coffee shops shipping vans full of caffeine to their neighboring hospitals? Or members of our community still supporting brick and mortar small businesses by online shopping?
Never before have we rallied as one, 100% virtually from our homes, like we did during quarantine. We stuck hand-painted signs of gratitude to essential workers in our front yards. We displayed our kid’s motivational artwork of love and compassion in our windows. We hopped on ZOOM to connect with friends, family, and coworkers who we missed much more than we thought we would. Choirs and musicians across the nation used the ZOOM Grid to create symphonies of voice, instrument, and song. We played music from garages and danced on our balconies. We hopped in our cars to celebrate everything from graduation to dance recitals to birthdays.
Everyone has had their own unique experience, and everyone’s journey has been different. We recognize that regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other label society likes to apply, we as humans have endured a global, collective trauma. There may still lie discomfort, discord, and disagreement. It would be unrealistic to discount the hardships, grief and loss that COVID has left and continues to leave in its wake. While some of us were quarantined with loved ones, some of us were alone. While some of us had a roof over our heads, some of us had hospital ceiling tiles. Some of us were even homeless while isolation at home had never been more crucial for our survival.
It’s deep stuff, and it’s certainly not comfortable. How can you take the discomfort and shift it to a place of gratitude and self-love? How would you assess your home environment? Is it conducive to giving you comfort? Peace? Solace? As you sit in your home, what are your immediate needs? What can you do to cultivate a more pleasant physical/mental space for yourself? For our team, it’s pulling homemade chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. An outdoor balcony overlooking the water. Meditation. Yoga. House plants. What brings you comfort in your home?
We have been given an opportunity to reexamine our priorities and our values. It’s time to ask yourself the questions you’ve been avoiding because you’re too busy. Or you’ll wait until “this” happens or “that” happens. The questions of “Am I really happy in the city?” or “Is it time to downsize?” or “Can I keep sharing one main bathroom with my whole family?” are suddenly more relevant. Perhaps you’ve realized the couch or kitchen island doesn’t work as your desk; your work flow might benefit from a separate home office space or finished basement. You are being called to examine not only where you live, but how you live.
We honor the balance. Work. Home. Work-From-Home. Home-From-Work. Recognize what we’ve been through, pause, and ponder our position. While the global pandemic may not quite bring about world peace, many of us are fortunate enough to at least say we found a little piece of peace at home.
