Kim Wilkish, Author at Kim Wilkish - New Tides Coaching

COVID-19, A new normal?

In school, we learned about pandemics. I never thought I’d live during one. Coronavirus, COVID-19 is the name of the virus. It is invisible. The impact is so variable. The extremes go from asymptomatic to people requiring to be put on ventilators in ICU. Unfortunately, too many people are dying. We speak of curves and trying to flatten them to peaks to wondering when the surge and decline will occur. Will we have a second wave of this? We don’t know.

Remote Learning

Kids are attending school via laptops, “remote learning” using goggle classroom, FaceTime, Zoom calls etc to stay on track. Teachers are adjusting as are students. Schedules are what you design and making sure you aren’t missing something is a norm. Engagement with students and teachers is via a screen. I know kids are missing their friends and teachers their students. Kids in their senior year are seeing their proms get cancelled and graduations changing or being postponed.

Family

Where family members are living under the same roof have a new dynamic to live with. Constant contact. Parents trying to work from home when they can, parents laid off or furloughed from their jobs, now are also teachers, managers, keeping house and being chefs. Interruption, managing frustrations and feeling disconnected from “normal” is a daily event.

As well as, having deep gratitude that loved ones are healthy and safe.

Checking in with family in friends via telephone, computer, text or social distancing outside is an adjustment. Family gatherings have been limited and celebrations postponed or done virtually. Worry for those that are having a deep feeling of loneliness. Many wanting this to be over.

Patience

Patience is a virtue they say.

More than ever patience is a requirement for survival. We are all making sacrifices and it’s not easy. Rushing to open businesses and “get back to normal” whatever that is or was is not in the best interest for everyone.

We need to be smart. We need to trust in the science. It is especially important to remember that this is something new. The fact that we have been able to develop tests as quickly as we have is amazing.