We're all feeling the pinch of the protracted lockdowns and the general confusion around what to do to curb the pandemic. There is precious little science behind total lockdowns as remediation strategy and we're now just starting to see the effects of asking people to stay at home for long periods of time, with increased depression, physical fitness down the shitter and levels of anxiety through the roof.
While we can bitch and moan all day at our overlords and what they're doing wrong, it's a pointless endeavour as the needs and desires of constituents have fallen onto deaf ears. What we can do is care for each other. In times where every emotion is heightened by uncertainty and anxiety, it's more important than anything that we ensure all our basic needs are covered.
If you have staff, that means you'll probably need to redouble your efforts to make sure they're taken care of. A young single designer may have fewer needs than a working mom of 4 on the surface, but that's not what matters. What matters is that they feel as secure as possible, listened to and that the essentials are handled so that they can actually perform their duties when the time comes.
Ideally, it would mean slowing down for a bit and taking stock of the situation in order to adapt accordingly. Making sure your priorities are in order will go a long way towards helping your staff, family and community feeling like they're part of something that is greater than the sum of its parts. I still hear too many people complaining that managing a remote workforce is taxing and that they're barely keeping it together.
The best bet is not to assume that things will go back to normal soon, even though we all hope they do, but rather to plan as if this situation is going to keep going on for another year or two. As a result, priorities will shift and you'll be able to ensure that your staff gets what they need to do their job the best they can and they will thank you.