Where to from here?

It is Sunday, September 5th, close to 18 months since Covid-19 began to impact our society and economy in such a profound way. Who predicted we would be in this place today?

I have been contemplating a lot this week and wanted to share some thoughts with you and your team.

We live under such a veil of uncertainty right now. Melbourne and Sydney are locked down and it doesn’t appear we will get out of this current condition till 70 to 80% of the population is fully vaccinated, perhaps mid to late November.

Whilst that time appears to be a “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”, many variables still exist, and things are changing.

In places like Israel and parts of the US where vaccination rates are reasonably high (over 60% fully vaccinated), waves of Delta variant infections are flowing through, and case numbers are skyrocketing.

It seems to be true that people do not seem to be getting as sick as they are vaccinated, but still, they can carry and spread the virus. This Delta variant is highly contagious and spreads quickly.

Last week I was on a Zoom with a Wellness company in London. Their vaccine rate is at about 68% in the UK and their daily cases are “down” to 30,000 with between 100 and 150 deaths per day. They are excited because everything has “opened up”. In Israel, where they have a population of 8.8 million, and where 62% of the population is now fully vaccinated, they had record case numbers on Thursday, over 11,000. This is happening in many places.

I fear conflict building as people who are fearful of being infected turn on people who are infected. I remember the horrible situation of Eve van Grafhorst in Kincumber, NSW, in 1985, a young girl who contracted HIV from blood transfusions at the age of 3, whose family were forced out of Australia due to the fear and retribution from their community. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-18/remembering-eve-van-grafhorst-after-hiv-diagnosis/10491934

This same level of fear-driven madness is appearing in Australia right now. Citizens against citizens purely because of different viewpoints and a lack of genuine understanding.

The reality we face is that the new variants of the virus are still coming, and people are getting infected. Hopefully, the vaccinations will prevent them from getting critically ill, but the infections are still coming. So, how do we handle this in the workplace?

There are two major areas. First, we can educate and encourage people to build strong personal immunity. All the research coming in from around the world is demonstrating that people with robust immunity are doing well, even if infected. It is disappointing that there has not been a national campaign to support this. But workplaces can deliver education. Not only will your people be more resilient to Covid-19, but they will also be more resilient against other diseases, and will be more energetic and productive.

A recent study published in “Frontiers in Science News” suggested that people with elevated blood glucose are significantly more prone to severe infection from Covid-19. This, of course, has been a significant challenge for decades. In our society, too many people consume too much sugar.

Robust personal immunity can be developed with a nutritious diet, some supplementation, improved gut health and adequate sleep. All these things will also contribute to better performance at work too, and reduced time lost due to illness or inflammation.

The second area is mental wellbeing. People are stressed, distressed and fearful about the many unknowns we face. Educating your people to be able to develop a broader perspective, and to be able to develop greater flexibility in their thinking, will help them to gain greater control over fearful thinking and reactive mindsets. What’s more, we can educate your people into areas where they can take on new attitudes and employ new actions that will bring inner peace and rest. Further, we can help them to learn how to feel more empowered through positive action.

Right now, more than ever, I feel this virus is coercing us to step up and take a greater level of personal responsibility for our own lives, and in doing so, create a positive impact on our communities. Vaccine or no vaccine, Covid-19 variants are going to be with us for a long time.

I feel that if we do a good job with a program, we can help your people to get on top of this current crisis and to be able to support others around them, in their families and their communities.

I personally want the best for you, your employees and all your families. There is much we can do. Waiting is “not doing”.

Please let me know if you would like to speak. Email me at [email protected]

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