by Moonsail North
COVID-19 has changed the world practically overnight, and our team is not immune to the effects of new routines as social distancing becomes the norm. During one of #TeamMoonsail’s virtual daily team huddles this week, we each shared highs and lows—some “peaks and pits.”
Austin
Peak
My peak: finding joys in the little things more often, while I have more time with my thoughts and trying to stay positive. I am finding more joy in simple activities. Also spending more time with my cat is pretty great, although she may feel otherwise.
Pit
My pit is being an extrovert in a time when we are supposed to be physically distant from one another, so being locked up in my apartment alone is making me go stir-crazy.
Sedora
Peak
My peak is finding the bright spots emerging from sheltering-at-home, including seeing skies clear as pollution plummets while whole communities stay at home or witnessing the best of humanity shine in the form of neighbors volunteering to drop off groceries for at-risk elderly neighbors or nonprofits stepping up to support the food, housing, and financial needs of those who need it most. I’m also loving all the coronavirus memes. As an introvert and germophobe with a need for personal space, I’m also kind of hoping the six-feet-apart social distancing rule becomes permanent, even after we’re all safe and healthy.
Pit
My pit is feeling worried and anxious at a scale I have never experienced before: for my family and friends, for everyone on the front lines (health care, grocery store, retail, and agriculture workers, first responders, etc., who are essential to keeping our community going), for everyone who is being laid off or facing reduced hours and the impacts it will have on their families, and for everyone who is or will get sick, for everyone who missed out on milestone life events like weddings, graduations, visiting newborn babies, etc.
Scott
Peak
I’m maybe a little jealous of those who’ve been able to binge on fun stuff, like the latest season of “Narcos” or whatever—being cooped up at home with a Lightning McQueen-loving 3-year-old, our entertainment options generally consist of streaming either “Cars,” “Cars 2,” or “Cars 3.” So, I was pretty proud of myself when I managed to talk him into watching “Into the Spider-Verse,” which I had never seen and was absolutely as good as advertised. So creative and laugh-out-loud funny. Now my son is obsessed, so I’m looking forward to watching it roughly 3,287 times over the next few weeks.
Pit
Definitely should have gotten that last haircut a few weeks ago.
Elexi
Peak
Social distancing has inspired me to reach out to friends and family that I don’t stay in touch with as regularly as I’d like to. Life moves quickly for everyone, so this time has allowed me to be more intentional with the relationships I have. I’ve gotten to hear pits and peaks from my loved ones around the world, and in many ways, I feel more connected to them than ever.
Pit
I’ve watched an unspeakable amount of “House Hunters” (although this might also be considered a peak).
Ashlyn
Peak
I’ve had more time to spend with my family and boyfriend lately, as we all practice “social distancing” together. Although we are all worried sometimes about how to deal with this changing situation, we’ve been trying to watch more movies and play games together—and yes, we’ve seen far too many Hallmark movies to count. We also take comfort knowing there are wonderful medical professionals out there working nonstop to heal others.
Pit
Watching my friends potentially lose their jobs and business owners who are forced to close (most temporarily and even some permanently) in light of this pandemic has been tough. On one hand, it needs to happen and they are doing the right thing, for that I am proud. On the other hand, it’s just sad to think of how stressed they must be feeling.
Rose
Peak
I’m happy to say that I have had so many peak feelings in the past week, and a strong peak is the tremendous courage and strength being shown by our health care workers right now. Here is Sparrow Health System’s CEO talking about what Sparrow is doing, and here is a story about how the community is donating supplies to hospitals.
Pit
It’s part of the human experience to not know what’s coming, but the intensity of uncertainty that comes with living at a time of a global pandemic is something else entirely. I know I can only control what I can control, but I am of course concerned about my family, my work family, my country, and this planet. Before COVID-19 hit the U.S., I took my toddler to the theaters on several occasions to watch Frozen 2, and Anna’s song about doing the next right thing—not knowing how to move forward even when you have to—has taken on a new meaning during these times. This song reflects my pit, which is this feeling of grief. The Harvard Business Review recently encapsulated this feeling so well in its piece about how “we’re feeling a number of different griefs.”