Work in the times of Covid-19 second wave
When I speak to my peers across various organisations, I realise we have a similar story to share: Over the past month, our teams have struggled to cope with deadlines.
We lack the bandwidth because we are overwhelmed with the second wave of this pandemic. People are unavailable; they cannot help it.
We are either down with the virus ourselves or are attending an emergency to support someone we know. There are graver situations too, where most of us have lost our loved ones — either in the family or in our friend/work/alma mater circles.
We are in this together, in a way that we never imagined. We never guessed a pandemic would bring us together.
Our decisions show signs that we are petrified. We are confused.
We have an article on languishing floating around as if it is a new phenomenon. We are not sure about the answers we are getting when we look for them. We are tired of analysing the data we are getting from the internet.
Some of us are trying our best to help out. We are amplifying the calls for help. We are volunteering as much as we can. Our support — financial or otherwise — is extending to people we have never met.
We are struggling, are angry and frustrated. But we do not want to give up.
I know you must be thinking why I started with a work topic but took the rant route.
It’s because I want to segregate our work from the effects of this pandemic.
This second wave is affecting us at every step of our days. This year might know better how to live in isolation. But we fail to realise — that our awareness around this pandemic is seriously under-developed and over-adulterated with misinformation and hearsays.
Thus, unintentionally, the idea of productivity and outcome — is already gone when we come to work. And hence when we try to get creative so that we can still make some progress.
But the cognitive load of being creative in a new way every day is massive.
Doing creative and meaningful work should be expected, but being constantly inventive in figuring out how to do creative, meaningful work, can be baffling (it is beyond expectations at this point).
We may not realise it, but this cognitive load seems to stick — it is residual.
I could try to suggest solutions for these issues (as I usually do towards the end of my posts), but right now, I believe it will be a gross oversimplification.
What I will say, though, is this: We must set our priorities straight.
Shield Others from Fake News.
Do not Panic.
Double-Mask Up.
Get Vaccinated.
Live.
Thrive.
Repeat.
This second wave may feel like a war. But do not give up the fight. We will come out of this stronger.