How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?
Covid required adaptation at many levels.
I lead a university residential college of 300 residents. It is a higher-risk environment because people live in close community. Many could not return home because they would never be able to return. Some came from vulnerable remote communities, and their welfare needed to be carefully protected.
The personal stress of this was enormous. I often had trouble sleeping because I lay awake worrying about the welfare of the people in our care. With the help of my GP, I put a sleep hygiene plan in place. I came to see that three things might help: exercise, talk therapy, and medication such as melatonin. I tried all three and found that exercise helped me most. Since then I have made daily exercise and an early bedtime a regular part of life. That has served me well.
At the same time, we were conscious that the best way for the community to respond was to go more deeply into its core identity. For us that meant community, safety, and holistic support. Rather than retreating into individual self-protection, we chose to put in place protocols that protected the whole community. We developed practical mechanisms for emotional support, financial support, academic support, and relational support. Those measures worked well. In fact, some residents who had initially gone home wanted to return not long afterwards because they missed the life and stimulation of close community.
It was not easy. There were many things to navigate, and some of the effects of those years have continued beyond the pandemic itself. Socially and emotionally, people were shaped by a long period of disruption. But we got through it.
Looking back, I think the key thing that helped us adapt was holding more deeply to our core values and deepest convictions. In particular, we refused to retreat into self-protection. We tried instead to respond with compassion, and to keep the wellbeing of the community at the centre.
The Afterword 
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