How did the pandemic change us?

Even today, more than six months after the start of the lockdown, we feel strange, as if we don't understand what has been happening; it hasn't been easy to accept that the world has changed, that our social and work environment is different.

Charles Dickens said: man is a creature of habit, now we see it more relevant than ever, our customs were changed, we were destabilized, confined and we realized that we were really used to being free and living.

It is there that we must question ourselves: how are we living? Are we aware of what we do daily and how we do it? We work daily, often out of inertia. When something changes in our daily lives, we react and try to return to normal. This experience has taught us, among many other things, that we must be more prepared for change… that the only constant is change, as Heraclitus stated. We must reflect on how our lives are in every sense.

How prepared are we to face these changes? From a work perspective, some strategies have been considered, supported by quality systems that have attempted to address this complex issue. We are currently reviewing the different protocols and assessing their results. Did they actually work?

At a family level, it has been a challenge for the vast majority; we all get used to our own routines, and when we find ourselves at home, we have had to readjust to living with our own family, to reconnecting.

What has this lockdown taught us? At work, we always longed to work from home, but did we achieve it? For most of us, it was a surprise to find ourselves in the dream situation of virtual work and realize that we are available at a click, but we didn't count on that click working against us with the accumulation of daily work, longer workdays, and even weekends and holidays becoming indistinguishable from ordinary days.

Since we had to continue working, we still have a lot to regulate for this type of work; it's a start, but a start that left us strong.

What happened to our families? To our customs? In our homes, we experienced mixed feelings. Being in constant contact with our loved ones again had its ups and downs. At first, it was curious and interesting, then perhaps not so pleasant, and just when we were getting used to it, the lockdown ended. Our customs were abruptly changed, and after much reflection, we began to long for even the simplest ones.

For posterity, we must remember to give our family and our everyday moments the importance they deserve, to live seeking happiness in every moment, in every person with whom we share daily, and to enjoy in the best way everything that life offers us at every instant.

By: Juan Carlos Torres Sandoval

Administrative Director, Zipaquirá.

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