No surprise there. Given the current context, since early 2020, COVID and its fallout have created a gloomy mood for individuals, and a tough (not to say very harsh) one for businesses.
After 7 months in this kind of environment, at Digitevent we want to show you a few solutions we like for keeping our spirits up (without burying our heads in the sand). Two choices present themselves in these uncertain times: keep worrying about the future, or look on the bright side and the opportunities it brings, with resilience in mind.
But first, let's look back at these past few months to take a step back and figure out how to become optimistic again:
The situation, in brief:
Because of (among other things) social media, a relay for information that's often unverifiable and potentially shared on a massive scale, the conclusion is clear: there's a risk of misinformation and rising anxiety.
This snowball effect undeniably contributes to a near-psychotic state where we no longer know whether the information reaching us is objective and reliable. This opens the door to the wildest theories and every kind of psychological bias.
When the surrounding information reaches this point, it's called fear porn, literally 'excitement through fear'.
What if things weren't so bad? The good news:
Boris Cyrulnik, a psychoanalyst, said: 'Unlike in the United States, where the term "resilience" is commonly used as a marker of optimism, in Europe it's harder to embrace, as if we had a tendency toward gloom.'
It's true that Europe (except perhaps Scandinavia) isn't known for its optimistic spirit. Why not try to change that?
There are many ways to look at everyday life from a new, more positive angle:
- Avoid overconsuming content on social media, and favor more reliable sources instead, like major national newspapers.
- Have fun at work, especially by avoiding 'Zoom fatigue' with Laugh.events, comedians who liven up your meetings, your conferences, and even your video calls!
- Follow 'Happy broadcasts': a handful of outlets that share only positive news, so you stop seeing the glass as only half empty
- Take a rational view of the world around you (we recommend the book The Rational Optimist): we're living in the most peaceful era in history, and the global infant mortality rate is at its lowest ever.
- Understand that a possible new epidemic wave will likely be less severe than the first time, during the March crisis
- Because France is one of the world's champions of the post-Covid rebound!
- Because the news about a potential vaccine is fairly good, with major progress being made in many countries.
- You can also use this slower period to take stock of your organization, your personal or professional life, step back from the daily grind, and get the perspective you need to realign with your goals and enjoy time with your family.
Okay, and what about business?
When it comes to business, we agree, some sectors are in serious trouble and can't do much about it, particularly restaurants, hospitality, and events.
Still, as with any major disruption, several good things can happen for you: the market can, for example, end up thinned out, with less competition.
In other cases, like in events, flexibility is essential, and the industry is adapting to the situation by offering video conferencing solutions, virtual or hybrid events, to keep a sector alive that's crucial for every business.
But rest assured: every sector should benefit from the spending that households and businesses put off during 2020, promising solid growth for the years ahead!
So it's up to you, both as an individual and as part of a company, to join the resilience effort and find opportunities or new growth avenues to deal with this, to say the least, eventful year.
