This is mid March and there are daily reminders of the measures that people are required to attend to in response to the Corona Virus. These measures are activated by the direction of state or federal government. It is likely that more legislation and restrictions and directives will begin to take place over the next weeks. Already social distancing is taking place, albeit on a ad hoc basis. Community gatherings, large social gatherings and sporting events are already cancelled or restricted to specific numbers of people. Flights curtailed until the end of May. Schools and child care centres will likely be shut down in the next weeks. Universities have already gone on line in the delivery of lectures and tutorials. The next phase will be work places and employees working from home wherever that is possible . Or if it is not possible because of the manualised nature of the work in for example, mining ,construction, energy and shipping what will happen there ? Australia is at a certain advantage in this global pandemic. As foreign governments make advances at containing or make mistakes, so Australia can learn from those actions. We have had perhaps time windows of 3-5 weeks to prepare from what is happening overseas.
We also know the the virus has and is going to disrupt family and community life and work life. It will also unsettle our liberal democratic ways of operating with community and government. We have never liked the idea of government direction or interference or exercising any monitoring over our family lives or wider activities. And we will need to keep a short leash on government in relation to taking back freedoms voluntarily surrendered in this season of crisis.
I have been speaking to work groups recently and it’s only in verbalising aloud you really find yourself realising how much Australians have gone through since December 2019. Christmas and New year were about the devastation of bushfires in the Eastern states and South Australia. These matters were reported globally and were not simply some local annual event. This was followed by the rising tide of information about the corona virus. It moved from China and Hong Kong. The epidemic spread. The massive downward spiral of the ASX late in February and its emerging devastating impact on business and employment and many Australians superannuation or share portfolios. . And then the first deaths here in Australia. And the infection rate increasing. There is, in talking with people, only what I can describe as, a low hum of suppressed anxiety.
Again, I want to emphasise that the unpredictable ,has entered our lives. The unpredictable disrupts our internal sense of what stabilises and what anchors us in a positive way to life. A positive way of life is mediated through our usual social activities and interactions with friends and families and workmates. We have a belief about the world and the way things operate and the way people act in it. In Australia ,we have got used to life operating in all facets of life in predictable ways. This series of events since December have disrupted that predictability.
In our normal lives we have a range of predictables. Predictable interactions in the workplace. Predictable issues and travels and rituals in any one day that we would hardly notice unless someone pointed them out to us. We also have other constants that are on the home front or in the work arena. They will be about school drop offs or friendships or how we waste time or use time. All civilised stuff usually. They will also be about goals and future plans . They could be short to medium goals. They could be long term financial goals or family or goals. Plans to get married or have children or retirement or beginning a career goals. All these are disrupted in some way. Simple plans locally of gatherings with family or friends. All predicated on the basis of a life that can be planned and in some shape or way will happen without disruption and we can participate in these without thinking too much..
So much is thrown by this virus and its attendant damage to the commercial world we have thrived in. Our families future health. Our own health and mortality. Our freedom to live as we want to. And the liberty to travel and congregate and work in a predictable venue with our predictable work mates. And then the issues of my income, my savings, my investments, my future goals and in this country our freedoms to make decisions independent of government interference or prescriptions from a range of bureaucrats or medicos. These people would not normally be able to exercise control over our lives. This is the unpredictable and even the unwanted but necessary, entering into our lives.
We can have intelligent or considered views of what is next and time frames. But we don’t know precisely. We can but have a reasonable guess. We may speculate. But there is likely to be more disruption in family life to come. There will be issues with child care and physical absence if work from home becomes mandatory.
Again the question might be raised for how long? Answer, a season.
But assuredly not forever.
So what needs to happen to return to some predictability . There are numerous answers . The first is that this is a season of time and the one predictable is that things will get increasingly annoying if not painful before they get better. Having got to the other side of what must be endured , things will then become better. Two people, yesterday, spontaneously said it was like the end of the world. I think they were joking. But I think there was an edge to their tone. This is not the end of the world or of history. We have been here before, many times if you read history. And we will emerge as we have before.The virus will be contained . The stock markets will return to their pre Corona levels and life will go on. The time frame of this season is as yet unknown and it does no good if we speculate.
I will say this however. The intensity of an episode and any crisis can usually be sustained for about 6-8 weeks. House flies buzz about for 3 days and then die of exhaustion or plain boredom. The media is a bit like a house fly. People actually get exhausted with the level of intensity of any critical episode. Also as humans we have limits. It cannot be sustained. It does not mean that in this case the virus goes away. But there is sociological moving on, as well as a psychological one.
Practically, allow me to suggest some possible ways ahead.
As we have said previously in the Practical mental health tips Blog on the Inwit site. Never make major decisions or choices or part with cash or your income or relationships in a time of crisis. Step away. Wait for a safe time. In this case wait patiently for the storm to pass. As it will.
. What is it you cannot change, and what do you need to adapt to in this season” The changes to your world or mine may be upsetting or maddening but very little can be done by way of protest. Realistically they are not other peoples intention or fault to annoy or disrupt my life. Everybody, is is in the same boat.
If you have children ,show leadership that reflects an optimism and be available to them. Children require you to be available and to provide a security and safe space for them to talk. Children pick up anxiety and worry and anger from parents. Choose at this time to behave sensibly and choose language that is not doom and gloom.
The human temptation in critical times can be to turn in on yourself and shut out the world around you. Within family you might have people who look to you for some sense of hope or continuity. At some ironic level there is a dominant narrative out there from Government. Self isolate. I would suggest that while all of us have friends and family of some description ,now is the time to do the opposite of self isolation , safely. Pick up your mobile, talk to people. Text people. Be predictable in being available, be deliberate about reaching out to people in your immediate family or friendship group. If we are restricted from meeting then we can certainly do this via the phone or text services or what’s app or Skype.
Create some predictable norms in your life that work in the new reality which is likely to be much more family or home based. There will be more time for talking (or learning to have conversations again) of walking reading listening to podcasts or even creating your own gardens or reconnecting with family. Im hearing that a museums are creating virtual tours on line along with art galleries and orchestras. Don’t withdraw. Reach out to people.Be the person that gives in these circumstances, not takes.
