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O P I N I O N
T here is no doubt that we have been going through a season of much higher fear, anxiety, and trauma with the COVID-19 crisis and the very visual revealing of racial injustice and inequities previously ignored. Our stressors are also multi-faceted and connected with different concerns. If we want to be in position to effectively respond and even get ahead of the curve, we all need to know what’s likely to come next. Getting ahead of the next curve
Peter Atherton
On one hand, our concerns are related to health, economics, isolation, and an uncertain and non-uniform reopening. On the other hand, our concerns are related to seeing large gaps in long-standing social constructs associated with equality, justice, and inclusion. Even as we begin to work through the “peaks” medically and in terms of concerns over our organization’s near-term financial health – and as we begin to better listen, understand, and take new actions as citizens and society – the fact is, that we will not, and must not, just return to “normal.” On the medical side, life as we knew it at the start of 2020 is likely at least many months away once we have an effective and widely available vaccine.
Where exactly we end up organizationally and socially will depend on us. Between then and now, however, there are things we need to know and steps we need to take to help ease concerns and come out of these periods of crisis stronger, better, and more resilient. WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW. There will be a dip. No matter how well we have responded as an individual, team, or organization to these situations to date, we will see a dip. The fear, anxiety, and trauma we’ve experienced and are experiencing is similar to that of a disaster. As shown in the graphic on the next page, there is a natural human response to a disaster.
See PETER ATHERTON, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 22, 2020, ISSUE 1350
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