Did the pandemic mess up the way we work?
Ep. 4 of The Untamed Mind: How the Pandemic Is Messing With Work
In this episode, Bree tackles a topic that has reshaped the very fabric of our professional lives: how the pandemic has messed with and reshaped the way we work. As we untangle the impacts of this global event, Bree invites us to re-evaluate our work structures, personal decisions, and ultimately find the balance in our altered realities.
Discovering The Pandemic's Work-Life Legacy
As leaders and teams across organizations yearn to return to a pre-pandemic normal, Bree delves into why this "normal" may no longer serve us. The pandemic not only changed where we work but heightened our need for a reassessment of what work means. Bree explores the "pandemic hangover," a term she uses to describe the residual impacts on our work setups and the societal mishandling of major historical learnings.
Bree shares with us a thought-provoking exercise: examining life choices made only due to pandemic circumstances. It's a self-reflective task that extends beyond her personal journey of relocating homes in search of space and peace during the pandemic. She urges listeners to embrace these decisive moments without self-criticism but with grace and understanding.
The Great Shift: Re-evaluating Work
Bree shares at length how the pandemic has fundamentally shifted workplace dynamics. Remote, hybrid, or in-office—it's less about the where and more about the why and how. Bree illuminates how the pandemic forced many employees, especially knowledge workers, to find work as a coping mechanism against stress and anxiety. In doing so, it inadvertently masked deeper issues and created temporary productivity spikes, which many leaders now mistake for a sustainable model.
A major takeaway is the eye-opening realization that high productivity during the pandemic was more an escape than an optimizing factor. As conditions turn to normal, so do the productivity metrics. Leaders must reconsider: are we solving the problem with a return to work mandate, or will we instead redefine and create a work setting that aligns more symbiotically with personal wellness and life balance?
Looking Forward to New Ways of Working
The journey through pandemic impacts isn't done yet. Next, she promises deeper dives into leading remote teams, constructing work cultures that fit our newfound perspectives, and figuring out holistic well-being at work. Keep thriving on the path to your authentic self, and remember, as Bree reminds us, challenges like the pandemic aren't just hurdles. They are gates to transformation, ready to teach us if we're willing to listen and adapt.
Stay connected with Bree Johnson on Instagram @BreeJohnsonOfficial and keep exploring future episodes of The Untamed Mind podcast as we navigate these transformative times together. Your story, just like the narrative of work, is in a constant state of evolution—let’s write it well.
