staying connected, staying strong
This article originally appeared on the Bizstory Content blog, in March 2020.
Reading the news can be scary at the moment. We’re all feeling it, watching the wave sweep across the world, cresting and falling in each country by turn and knowing that it’s rising above us too.
But when the big picture is daunting and makes us feel powerless, we must reclaim our strength by connecting with the people around us.
He waka eke noa — we’re all in this together
This week, the BizStory Content team have started working from home to protect the more vulnerable members of our office — people who are immunodeficient or already unwell due to other issues.
Although I am one of those vulnerable people, and I pushed for a strategy of precaution and protection, I miss our office already. I miss seeing the faces of my colleagues every day, hearing them chuckle so I can respond with “What’s funny?” and share a joke, and all the familiar subtle interactions we share on a daily basis that connect us beyond the formalities of work.
We’re now joining thousands of isolated workers, fighting to stay connected across the barrier of distance, but confident that our strength comes from being together rather than apart.
After all, BizStory has always been more than just a collection of freelancers. We are a team.
Now is the time to connect with your team, your community, your neighbours, your whānau.
In a time when we’re closing our borders and locking our doors, we need to make a conscious effort to connect, more than ever before.
The micro interactions that we take for granted as we go to and from our jobs, as we buy coffee or lunch in town, even as we walk down the street, have disappeared as more and more people either work from home or enter isolation.
We have to find new ways to not be alone.
Health advice aside, the most important thing you can do is reach out and share a smile or a laugh. Even if you feel fine, the person you talk to might not be.
Speak to your neighbours when you see them, ask for their phone number or email so you can check up on them.
Call up your family to chat, vent, and share a joke. Try to stick to telling each other the good news, instead of just the bad.
Share a smile with a stranger on the street, be kind to others in the supermarket and shops. Don’t bulk buy, or others will miss out.
Make the most of the camera on your laptop to video call your workmates, instead of flicking off just another email.
Send a message to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, wherever they are in the world. You’ll find solidarity in what we’re all doing right now.
You never know if the person you call — your workmate, your family, your friends, your neighbour — might be feeling alone, lost, or scared. By reaching out, you’re helping them find their strength again and bringing us all closer in community.
The world is going through a lot of change right now, but one thing stays the same: our connection to our whānau and wider community. We are stronger together, even as we are forced to be apart.
Together, we have the strength to get through this.
Send a gif, send a meme, pull a face.
Vent. Listen. Breathe.
Kia kaha and carry on.