The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way we live and work. The experience of constantly being exposed to an invisible threat has left our nervous systems perpetually activated to flight, fight, freeze, and/or fawn. Living within these states can result in a continuous state of hypervigilance and hyperarousal, which affects how communicate, how we engage one another, and how we adapt, or not, to change.

In this presentation we will examine how COVID-19 has had a traumatizing effect on our being. We will look to strategies with which to recognize the manifestations of such an experience, and how they impact the way we work and engage one another. We will also learn how to manage the impact of these changes, as well as build resiliency, and utilize compassionate measures to support our reintegration.

So much has changed in our workplaces and our lives, and as such adaptations and accommodations can be very challenging to implement. We cannot return the ‘ways of yesterday’. We are forever changed. We are entering a ‘new normal’ of living and working.