Wishing it were zombies instead of Covid-19 as the safety bubble of trust gets smaller? YEP!
We knew how to kill zombies! After years of watching The Walking Dead, we had an arsenal of information on how to make weapons of zombie destruction. We spent countless hours defeating zombies in Resident Evil, and streamed Netflix and Amazon Prime movies like Train to Busan and World War Z. Perhaps you should have paid closer attention to safety protocols featured in movies like Contagion and Outbreak.
We social distance, wear masks, and avoid large gatherings. Despite all the warnings around safety protocols, we are struggling to adhere to CDC recommendations and guidelines during the holiday season. Small business struggle to remain open while once bustling restaurants fill vacant seats with themed mannequins and giant teddy bears. Offices either remain empty or have working hours ranging over 24 hours and on weekends to keep staff safely distanced. And as retailers rely on virtual shoppers to fill holiday baskets, we wait for a vaccine to be distributed to the general population.
As the new year greets an already restless world, creativity has often been an approach to safe space. From plexiglass panels and plastic dividers, to shower curtains and vintage pulley systems, the entrepreneurial spirt lives on, enabling the business community to some semblance of a revenue stream. Zoo’s have created drive through experiences, mall parking lots have been converted to drive-in movie theatres, and human parking spots will continue to develop in unique and creative ways.
The fact is that we just don’t know how long the Pandemic will last, or how bad it will get. The magic 8 ball can only tell us to ‘try again later.’
We are living in an economically distressed world, with food insecurity affecting too many households. The road to recovery remains challenging as we have no end game in sight. Every day is like your worst day playing Chess with the Master. Pandemic preparedness has moved to the top of the emergency preparedness list. Go bags are bigger and hoarding is creating significant challenges to the supply chain.
While we continue to experience spikes and valleys in the number of cases, how do we overcome lock-down exhaustion? The emotional challenges of the recovery phase seem equivalent to those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Soldiers often return from battle, struggling with overwhelming feelings around the inconsequential issues facing us every day. Nightmares and anxiety attacks are early warning signs. The struggle is real. Health.com published an article in April 2020 discussing early warning signs of PTSD caused by trauma…in this case, the global Pandemic.
Separated by physical distance, we may feel numb, disassociated from our lives. A lack of concentration and an inability to relax are common; anxiety, irritability and negative overload leave use craving a return to normalcy. Many are living their days in survival mode, triggering a ‘fight or flight’ reflex in our brains…’with a general sense of dysphoria…’
2020 has been a roller coaster of emotions. But in the face of the uncertainty, we have seen the emergence of hidden talents, unseen qualities and lessons learned.
Moving towards 2021, we have a promising vaccine beginning distributed around the globe. In light of all we have dealt with in 2020, we highly recommend you never stop practicing your zombie killing skills. Who knows what comes next…!