How Are You Riding The Waves? | READ

I wonder how many of you have felt the up and down waves of living and surviving in Covid19 Lockdown?

The Kublar Ross Change Model was originally used to illustrate the emotions felt during bereavement, then it went on to manage change in organisations. I have used this model to demonstrate the waves I have gone through during these rare and unique times.

The ‘Waves’ of Emotion

Shock

Covid19 attacks the World
People start to panic buy toilet roll, pasta and noodles

Denial

Singapore is a safe place to be
Our Covid19 numbers are low
It is the World news over amplifying the negatives

Frustration

Working from home
Home learning
No physical or mental head-space
Living 24/7 with the same people

Not allowed to leave our neighbourhood

Depression

Wine/beer supplies running low
Eaten too much home baked banana bread
Binge watched too much Netflix
Craving to walk outside my neighbourhood
Missing hugging and physically socialising with my friends

Grieving on all the missed opportunities/celebrations during lockdown

Experiment

Building routines
Creating boundaries
Finding new ways of exercising
Learning to use technology to continue working

Social online quiz nights with friends around the World

Decisions

Routines are working
Improved understanding about the education system
Embracing more family time
Enjoying the slowing down of activities both professional and personally

Understanding that there is less need to travel for work

Integration

What do I want my new normal to be?
Who am I choosing to spend time with?
Where do I want to go?
What is going to work for me so I can re integrate successfully?

Moving out of our comfortable norm

When I heard that we were going into phase 2 in Singapore with just 4 days notice I started to feel like the old librarian in the movie The Shawshank Redemption. Played by James Whitmore, this librarian didn’t want to leave the security and safety of prison as it had become his comfortable norm.

Freedom of movement has made me realise that I feel like I have been deep diving in the dark ocean with little light. I’ve been swimming around saving my oxygen to ensure that I survive not knowing how long I would be under water. Now we can go to the surface again I will be staging my integration step by step and not overwhelming myself or my family. I am going to decompress slowly as I don’t want to get the bends. I wonder if resonates with you?

How are you planning to decompress?