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With the reopening of workplaces and schools, I've been hearing a lot about "catching up" and the idea that somehow we can make up for what was lost in the past year. Even among my university administration, as we acknowledge the toll that working remotely, living in isolation, and schooling children at home has had on our faculty, there has been talk about how our faculty will "catch up" in the coming years. It's time to give up on catching up. There is no catching up. As leaders, parents, and individuals, we should not underestimate the impact of a year of disruption and isolation.
Athletes provide a good model for understanding why "catching up" is an unhealthy approach to 2021 and 2022. When a runner is sidelined by an injury, they cannot run. Perhaps they take on another sport, like cycling or swimming, which has some transferable benefits, but it isn't the same.
Then, when they are healed, they start back at running at a slow pace and for a short duration. If they ran 15 miles a week before getting injured, they do not run 30 miles a week after the injury. To try to make up for miles that were not run would be folly and would likely lead to another injury. More importantly, over-training might shorten their athletic careers.
It's the same way with returning to work and other pursuits. Right now, many people are exhausted. Working remotely, managing caregiving responsibilities, and coping with social isolation and anxiety have left us all on the "injured" list. When we are able to return to a world more like 2019, trying to make up for hours lost by doing extra hours is likely to lead to more emotional exhaustion.
In addition, work on trauma integration and trauma recovery describes the stages of recovery in which people acknowledge trauma and integrate the traumatic event into their life's narrative and sense of self. This year has been traumatic for many people. The traumas may include loss of loved ones, social isolation, anxiety and fear, loss of control, and emotional exhaustion. Many of these experiences are accompanied by physiological symptoms, such as disrupted sleep, poor digestion, and physical pain.
In addition, with losses of jobs and losses of social networks, people may be grappling with identity issues: Who am I without my career? People are vaccinated, and restaurants and schools are reopening, but the emotional and physical burdens are not erased. Instead, the reduction in COVID-related anxiety and concerns can provide people with the mental space and energy to recover from chronic stress, build new identities, and regain physical health. Instead of catching up on last year's work, people will be spending 2021 recovering and rebuilding.
Finally, there are positive outcomes from 2020 that should be acknowledged. Work on post-traumatic growth has shown that people have grown closer to neighbors, established healthy patterns, and experienced greater gratitude. Instead of papering over 2020, building on experiences during the pandemic to continue on new paths can be beneficial.
In short, the goal should not be to make it as if the pandemic and social distancing never happened. It did, it was real, and we have things to learn from the experience. Instead of trying to catch up, grant yourself the grace to just pick up. Give yourself time and space to move forward from where you are.
