Right now, the world is embroiled in a conversation about when and how to end quarantine and resume business as usual. There is a lot of talk about returning to “normal,” and many of us are desperate for our typical routines. How nice would it be to sit in a coffee shop with a friend, have a dinner with extended family, or chat with our coworkers in person?

But if we stop, take a breath, and consider how things were before, we may notice that aspects of our old “normal” made us lonely and unhappy. A few examples include the many options to go from one activity to another, without time for reflection or integration, or the lack of prioritizing time to just be alone with our thoughts and experiences and to truly understand them and ourselves. It was easy to numb these feelings in our hyperconnected, always-on world before the pandemic, but social isolation has brought many of us face-to-face with our anxieties. Some of the pain we feel right now is a symptom of a society that craved more connection and a deeper sense of personal calm. 

There has also been a shift towards encouraging compassion within corporations amid the pandemic. Many organizations are giving their employees more flexibility, and coworkers are being encouraged to practice more compassion for each other. Through this crisis, companies have built a stronger sense of community within their workforce.

As we move from reacting to the pandemic to considering what comes after, we have the opportunity to use the things learned during quarantine to build a better “normal.” We can continue deepening our connections, practicing compassion, and building a greater sense of belonging—at an individual level and in the workplace.

At Be Meditation, we believe there are three elements to building a better “normal”: being, belonging, and becoming.

  • Being: Refrain from harshly judging ourselves and others. Be gentle. Be positive. Be resilient. 
  • Belonging: Focus on strengths and what you can accomplish together.
  • Becoming: Lead a paradigm shift to create a sustainable and more resilient world.

We’ll talk more about these concepts in the coming weeks. Tell us about your experience of being, belonging and becoming, and how we can help.