Post-COVID Recovery
Harnessing the Power of Anticipation for Post-COVID Recovery
Years of living under the threat of catching and spreading a deadly disease, combined with the ongoing disruptions due to various lockdowns, have taken an emotional toll on managers and employees alike. It's no wonder that the availability of a vaccine has allowed so many people to return to a "new normal" routine.
Anticipating what one's life will look like post-COVID can be a powerful exercise and a potential mood-booster. Scientists have shared that when people anticipate something positive, the brain releases dopamine, often referred to as the feel-good molecule.1 On the flip side, the inability to anticipate something positive due to uncertainty, which has been a constant during COVID, can lead to anxiety.2
Anticipating something positive not only helps individuals feel good, but anticipation can also be a great motivator. In fact, sports psychologists often have athletes visualize victory because of its ability to trigger determination.3
Additionally, there is evidence that anticipation can help people push through a stressful event and recover faster from a negative experience.1 One way to help employees harness anticipatory joy is to give them access to life coaching. A coach can help an employee identify post-COVID goals and start making plans towards those objectives.
Below are several questions developed to inspire post-COVID anticipation. These may be appropriate to ask employees during a one-on-one or team meeting:
- What do you look forward to doing after COVID? If you had to rank these activities, which ones would be included in the top three?
- Who would you like to visit?
- Are there any hobbies that you want to start or return to after COVID?
- Is there anywhere you want to travel? If so, how will you get there?
- Are there any positive lessons that you have learned during COVID that you want to carry over into post-COVID life?
- Is there anything you can do now to start planning for the things you look forward to post-COVID?
While the vaccine may feel to some like the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel, the present reality is that COVID-19 continues to be a threat. This is not the time to relax one's vigilance. In fact, at this stage of the game, guarding against caution fatigue is as important as guarding against COVID-19. But, as long as people continue to follow safety precautions, like wearing masks, washing hands, and practicing social distancing, then daydreaming about a future without COVID-19 can be beneficial in supporting wellbeing in the weeks to come.
References
- The Coleman Institute. (2016, January 27). Dopamine: "The anticipation molecule." Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://thecolemaninstitute.com
- Heid, M. (2020, May). It's time to learn how to microdose anticipation. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://elemental.medium.com
- Jones, M. (2016, August 11). The ultimate way to increase motivation, according to neuroscience. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.inc.com
Fisher, M. (Revised 2021, December [Ed.]). Post-COVID recovery: Harnessing the power of anticipation (B. Schuette & A. Gaddis, Eds.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options.