As is happening with people and businesses all around the world, we at J&JCG are trying to determine the best course of action during this unprecedented time through which we are all living. I’ve been surprised at the impact that this has had on me. I feel unsettled in a way that astounds me.
The current COVID-19 public health crisis has sent us all on an uncertain journey. And after studying brain neuroscience for over 10 years, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
The human brain LOATHES uncertainty!
And we are living in profoundly uncertain times! Information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is flowing fast and furious and the responses are changing minute by minute.
For our brains, the experience of uncertainty is both taxing – it takes a good deal of energy to work through – and unpleasant. In reality, our brains so dislike uncertainty that they try to avoid it at all costs. And similar to the mental effects of procrastination – when we avoid doing something we know we need to finish – it affects other functions. Our brain is literally working so hard to avoid uncertainty that it affects our decision making, risk assessment and even our ability to learn. Hence why we’re collectively trying to hoard toilet paper in the face of a contagion that does not affect our digestive systems!
We are staying positive at J&J. We know that we’ll get through this as a business and we will all come through as a community, a nation and a world.
We have a chance to pause and remember those things that really matter. Those things have come into sharp relief. Family. Love. Kindness. Health. Generosity. Appreciation. Collectiveness. People. Community. Connectivity. Standing together – not apart (except for the 6-foot mandate, LOL).
The rest is just noise.
We are so much stronger when we stand together and look out for our communities, and not just ourselves.
One of the best things we can do right now, for ourselves and for our communities, is to choose to see the best in each other. I heard a story about an older person in a checkout line with just cans of soup, and how the community in line around her spread out to get her what she needed in the grocery store. Still another story tells of someone who gave up the last package of toilet paper for the needs of another.
This is who we are when we stand together.
Be kind. Be patient. Find the humor. Look beyond just your needs to the needs of those around you. Choose compassion over fear and scarcity. Reconnect – with yourself, your family, your communities, your priorities. Live out your values.
We’re all in this together.
And for all essential service providers – from health care workers to sanitation workers, from families educating children who are suddenly at home to grocery store clerks, we thank you for your service. You are our heroes. In these times of challenge, we can make room for connection, reflection, love, laughter and inspiration.
We are thinking of you and sending you encouragement and inspiration, safety and health. As always, if we can support you in these times and beyond, please reach out.
Until then,
Janine Hamner Holman
