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An article by psychologist Adam Grant has been doing the rounds this week. He identifies a collective feeling resulting from the emotional long-haul of the pandemic. It’s not burnout, depression or hopelessness but a kind of foggy aimlessness he calls “languishing.”

“In the early, uncertain days of the pandemic, it’s likely that your brain’s threat detection system — called the amygdala — was on high alert for fight-or-flight,” he says, “As you learned that masks helped protect us — but package-scrubbing didn’t— you probably developed routines that eased your sense of dread. But the pandemic has dragged on, and the acute state of anguish has given way to a chronic condition of languish.”

Inspiration, not information

“You have to collect the dots to connect the dots,” goes the saying. There’s a reason we often have our best ideas in the shower or cycling to work.

If you find yourself uninspired, leave the screen and engage in activities that untangle complex thoughts and lead to creativity. In “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear,” writer Elizabeth Gilbert encourages playfulness, “There’s a difference between being original and being authentic. The latter is ultimately more valuable.” Write freely without overthinking, go for a swim, or look at old letters. These are times that nobody has experienced before. Understanding our feelings can lead to breakthrough ideas and innovation. But first, make time to play and explore.

Find new ways to connect with your team

During Mental Health Awareness Week, a colleague organized a team walk and entered the occasion in our calendars as a meeting. I went for the same walk I have been on for over a year of working from home in lockdown but this time we shared photos and videos in real-time from Minnesota to Amsterdam. It was a simple way to boost team spirit and get moving.

Ease in gently

As lockdowns lift, the idea of going from zero to 100, or from only talking to your cat for a year to a raucous team-building, bottomless brunch can feel daunting to the most extroverted. It’s OK to leave an event early, turn a few down or refrain from revealing the inner workings of your psyche to Nick from Accounting.

Plan your first face-to-face

Just as Zoom quizzes have lost their luster, many of us are finding it hard to chat with loved ones or colleagues on FaceTime. It serves as a reminder of how long it has been since we’ve seen them in person. Many airlines are offering flexible trips and free cancellations. Putting a date in the diary could be the boost you need. Check for requirements using CWT Travel Essentials.

Image credits: Adobe Stock

he biggest global vaccination campaign in history is underway. As countries around the world look to gradually ease restrictions, it is imperative that organizations equip their employees for a safe return to travel.

In the latest episode of CWT’s podcast, Business Travel On the Fly, Raphaël Pasdeloup – Senior VP Global Customer Management, Technology, Media and Telecom at CWT speaks to experts including William Hauptman, MD – Medical Director Assistance, Americas Region, International SOS about.

Here are three key takeaways from Dr. Hauptman.

1. Vaccinations are key to making travel safe again
   Wealthy countries with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated about 25 times more rapidly than those with lower incomes. On a global scale, achieving vaccination is quite a daunting task. At the rate of 20 million a day, it’s going to take years to achieve significant levels of global immunity. 83% of shots that have been given worldwide have been administered in high and upper-middle-income countries and only 0.3% have been administered in lower-income countries.
   
   Israel has led the world in vaccinations. By February more than 84% of people aged 70 and older, had received two doses. Severe COVID cases and deaths declined rapidly, which is a harbinger of good things to come. We are seeing a similar phenomenon in the UK. Typically, we can expect that once a country has achieved greater than 40% vaccination COVID rates will begin to decline.
   
   
2. Testing remains critical
   I can safely say that if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you are relatively well protected against getting the disease and can certainly feel more comfortable traveling and getting in an airport or taking a taxi or train. However, we have to realize that the global situation continues to present very high levels of cases.
   
   In addition to vaccinations, testing is likely to remain a requirement to keep travel as safe as possible, until we see significant public health results from vaccinations.
   
   
3. Travel managers continue to have a duty of care
   Travel managers will continue to have a duty of care to fully understand the risks inherent at a destination, and to educate their travelers. Travel managers need to understand the full picture of what’s happening at a destination in terms of COVID levels, the variance, and the health infrastructure, and need to be able to educate travelers about how to protect themselves to mitigate risk as much as possible.

Many measures to mitigate infection are going to remain with us for the foreseeable future including masks and health screens, testing, and vaccination status.

Listen to the full episode at Business Travel On the Fly

Image credits: Adobe Stock