So today is the 1st April 2020 and this morning people are playing pranks on each other and finding humor in amongst the posts on FaceBook of “cleared my office today” “I don’t know when I will be back in” “I miss everyone and the fun” and “what now?”
I can almost say with certainty that we will never face another 1st April like the one that we have today. In our wildest dreams, we could have never imagined that what played out on the movie screens would play out in real life. Central Park in New York City, the place that’s on my bucket list to a carriage ride through is now set up as a makeshift hospital to help with the ever-increasing numbers of Coronavirus cases. Where once you may have said “I would die to go to Central Park” now the reality is that people may die “in” central park.
As an employment relations consultant, my phone and emails have been running hot with business owners and managers asking, “what do I do now?”. The reality is other than going back with what is coming out with Fair Work, ensuring that any stand-downs, redundancies, reduction in hours, etc to minimize the business impact are done as per the Act and as per the Awards so we don’t have a nasty backlash at the other end – it’s not business as usual anymore and what was once certain is now very uncertain.
I remember going to a Tony Robbins event and he got up and said that “Certainty is Boredom” – gee I wish I was bored right now as this uncertainty is to a whole new level.
Like many parents, I have my kids at home, and they are looking to me for guidance and support in what for them is challenging. They can’t understand why suddenly, they are unable to go to school, unable to see their friends and unable to go out whenever they want to. There are also the financial constraints – how do you explain that the food we have in the cupboard needs to go further than it has ever gone before as we really don’t know if we can fill it up again. We will help you to find the HR outsourcing services.
We are lucky (so so lucky actually) that my partner still has worked (for now) and so do I till May at least but no-one really knows how long we will all be in this place, these 4 walls, behind the rendered brick wall that we have been told to stay at unless it is an essential trip. (in mental well-being and sanity an essential trip?)
I have been positive till today then – SMACK it hit me in the face – I have no control over the outside world and no control over what will happen next. Sure, I have control over my thoughts and my mindset and coaches will tell you to focus on you and what you need but what is that?
The rules of the game have changed and shifted. I have my own business as well as teaching but looking at the invoices out to invoices this morning it’s a stark difference and you can guess which one is the less, no actually, t non-existent, I have no invoices to go out. Like many many others it’s going to hurt. I have been busy but I have been giving advice FREELY as this I believe is the right thing to do in all the pain – I don’t see its fair to be charging people when they also have no idea where their next payment will come from but at least I have a few weeks more to deal with that.
I was honored to get a text last night saying “I was ringing to take you up on that offer for a friendly ear” I had missed the call but rang straight back. The person is a client but also becoming a friend and they had to tell their whole company today that they will all be stood down as there was no more work as the industry they relied on had all but been decimated. She asked me how I deal with this kind of thing as she was struggling with having to tell all these people, you won’t be getting paid. Depersonalise it – was the only answer – as this was not them nor was this a conversation anyone else would naturally and normally want nor to have to say BUT we are not in normal times.
I read an article last night from a seasoned academic who had been through so extremely challenging times (here is the link – https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-You-Should-Ignore-All-That/248366?fbclid=IwAR2ylDxT4tAy9neThzB4X0TcH1JSCh2hUO0MoGg9iXfPvfBlPtIKy2kXAgU) and what was the first stage is – Security.
“Your first few days and weeks in a crisis are crucial, and you should make ample room to allow for a mental adjustment. It is perfectly normal and appropriate to feel bad and lost during this initial transition. Consider it a good thing that you are not in denial, and that you are allowing yourself to work through the anxiety. No sane person feels good during a global disaster, so be grateful for the discomfort of your sanity. At this stage, I would focus on food, family, friends, and maybe fitness. (You will not become an Olympic athlete in the next two weeks, so don’t put ridiculous expectations on your body.)”
I will leave my post at that as I need to consider the above for my own self – today, 1st April 2020 is no matter to be laughed at, joked at, or put down to “just a bad day” – today is the first of what is the new reality and new pathway for many.
Stay safe my friends, my clients, and everyone that reads this – we will rebuild somehow, we will be stronger, and we will be OK. XX
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