Balancing Life in a time of COVID-19

In normal times life, liberty, and happiness build upon each other. When one grows our overall life is raised up (and you protect all three because if any shrinks it takes away from your life.) In times of crisis – especially the one we are experiencing now – life becomes more like a set of competing interests, such that more in one area means less in another area.

This is the driver of much of the internal frustration people are experiencing right now. It’s vital we learn to recognize the trade-off decisions we are being forced to make so that we can manage the inherent internal and external tension that comes from these choices. Learning to recognize how this impacts yourself, your family members, your colleagues, your friends, and others allows you to be more effective in our interactions and communications.

People have been forced in a matter of weeks to go from a lifetime of maximization seeking to a balancing strategy. That is an abrupt change for which many people were not mentally prepared. We will all adjust but it will take time and it will not be without individual challenges.

Credit to David Sinclair, PhD for the idea and graphic. I recommend reading his book, Lifespan, if you are interested in the aging process – it’s well researched and fascinating.