Verified by 
Key points
- Since mid-March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has changed how many of us live, work, and conduct activities in society.
- Working in the pandemic changed our daily routines. Routines can be seen as efficient solutions to previous problems.
- Post-pandemic is the time to reflect upon our work lives, such as by asking, what did I learn and how will that affect my future choices?
It was easy to change. Because we just had to do it. From one day to the next, our workplaces were no longer regular offices. Instead, we have been working from home offices, kitchen tables, bedrooms, couches, and other more or less comfortable spaces. The pandemic forced that change upon us. And we understood it and accepted it. Yes, at some point, it was also a feeling of commitment, like “we’re all in this together” – kind of a teambuilding activity.
And then it was not easy. It became dull. Sometimes lonely. It is harder to bring out creativity when feeling less connected and not as energetic as before. I’m speaking from my own experiences and multiple meetings I have had with clients and colleagues. We have not yet seen the results of the working life of the pandemic from real thick scientific longitudinal studies. But I can guess; many of us liked the autonomy, some of us were frustrated because we did not have the right technology or working conditions at home, many of us missed colleagues and some social activities, few missed the commuting, and a lot of people are now feeling a bit burned out coming back to work.
So what have we learned? Since mid-March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has changed how many of us live, work, and conduct activities in society. We have, of course, experienced many different things. The most obvious lesson learned is that the limitation of in-person meetings has brought about a rapid and comprehensive digital transformation.
But what else? The pandemic work-life forced upon us changed our daily routines. Routines can be seen as efficient solutions to previous problems. We shape routines because it makes us, in many ways, freer; we don’t have to think of every step we take. We need to rely on good routines and use our brains for better (or more demanding) things. Our old pre-pandemic routines were inefficient in our new working-from-home situation, so we had to create new routines. Now, as we move back to offices or some hybrid solution, we’ll need to shape new routines again that help us through the day – and that will take some time and effort. We need to understand and accept that.
The pandemic shook the daily rhythm. Days and weeks were floating together into a mush. We missed old routines and rituals, and without them, the rhythm of the days and the year was lost. I’ve heard several people saying it’s hard to know if it’s Tuesday or Thursday. Spring or fall. Lunchtime or not. We need to find a suitable rhythm in this new kind of working situation (yes, I think we’ll have more hybrid work patterns). Which routines and rituals did you miss? Which relieved you? Timing is everything, and now is the time to be thinking much more carefully about the rhythm, routines, and rituals of your days and weeks. We now have a tremendously massive opportunity to redesign our daily lives.
To do that, give yourself time for reflection. I’ve noticed that many people have had the time to reflect on how they want to live their lives. Some are changing jobs, moving houses, or are just convinced to do certain things a little bit differently. Don’t stress it. Have the courage to take things down a notch, and take some time out to reflect on what is essential.
Don’t be so busy acting that you forget to keep reflecting. Over time, I have become more convinced that the best way to manage expectations, develop oneself, and have a healthy relationship with what occupies the more significant part of our waking hours – work, is through structured conversations (with yourself, a friend, or someone you trust) involving self-reflection. This kind of conversation provides the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of one’s work and the challenges of working life. In this context, philosophy, which is also the foundation of existential therapy, can be helpful. Even those who are not particularly interested in reading the original texts of philosophers can benefit from their ideas in their personal development.
Some time ago, I read a blog by David Brendel, a philosopher, and psychiatrist, about how philosophy can guide personal development. I liked it because it’s so easy and challenging at the same time. To do this, he suggests using the SANE method. SANE draws on the critical questions posed by pre-eminent Western philosophers: Socrates, Aristotle, Nietzsche, and the Existentialists (SANE). These are the questions that we ought to be able to ask ourselves every so often:
Socrates: What is the most challenging question someone could ask me about my current approach?
Aristotle: What character virtues are most important to me, and how will I express them?
Nietzsche: How will I direct my “will to power,” manage my self-interest, and act by my chosen values?
Existentialists (e.g., Sartre): How will I take full responsibility for my choices and the outcomes to which they lead?
Life and working life has many sources of frustration. Now – post-pandemic work life – is the time to reflect upon; what did I learn, and how will that affect my future choices? In modern working life, which takes up such a big chunk of our waking hours, if we want to reduce frustration and negative stress, we need to have more conversations that reflect on what lies within the realms of the possible and the desired – in particular, to improve our chances of resilience and sustainable development for individuals as well as organizations. Now it’s time.
