Almost every time I speak or facilitate I say, \”The world of work changed on Friday the 13th of March, 2020.\” But, according to multiple experts, that\’s also the day that our collective trauma began. Read on…
As my partner was driving me to the airport yesterday, I glanced at my watch and caught the date. March 13, 2024.
“Happy Anniversary!” I said to David. He looked at me and smiled. “Oh, it’s the 13th of March, isn’t it!”
14 years ago we had our first date.
Anniversaries aren’t a big thing with us. We do great birthdays and Christmases but every other day is just another day. But we do usually acknowledge it
The 13th of March has had much more significance in the last 4 years than in the first 10 years of our relationship though.
Because 4 years ago yesterday was Friday the 13th of March, 2020. The day the world changed.
Friday the 13th of March was the day that, collectively, the world realized that Covid was a thing.
Friday the 13th of March was the day that we began our great ‘work from home experiment.’
Now researchers are saying that Friday the 13th of March was the beginning of a collective trauma that we have still not processed.
I’m reading an excellent book by Eric Klinberg called 2020: One city, seven people and the year everything changed.
Klinberg, among others I’ve read or heard on podcasts recently, argues that many of us have forgotten big chunks of 2020 due to this trauma.
What trauma I can hear many of you ask? We got through it. We dodged the recession everyone was predicting. Things are feeling like they are getting back to normal.
And I agree. But the questions posed by these experts are interesting. Are you more short tempered than you used to be? I know I am.
Do you have less energy, are you less joyous or optimistic? Definitely!
Do you have a strange sense of time? Like things that happened recently happened long ago and things that happened long ago just happened recently? Oh yeah.
Have you forgotten a lot of what happened in 2020? Hmmm, come to think of it I have.
Apparently, these are signs of trauma.
The experts that I’m reading say that in order to process and release this trauma, we have to remember it. We must put it into perspective and recognize that…the world has changed.
They also argue for being gentle with ourselves (and others).
So…what’s my point?
This is one of the big ticket items that I’m in the midst of exploring right now and I’m not sure I have a, “So this is what I think or what I’m going to help my clients with” answer right now.”
It just feels big and important.
Watch this space and I\’d love to hear your thoughts below, or if you don\’t want to share publicly DM me.
