The pandemic has changed a lot about who we are and how we live our lives, that’s for sure. The perpetual lockdown has forced us to stay at home, give up our social lives, and seek joy and meaning from where we are - depriving us of the chance to chase it.
As social experiments go, this has been unprecedented, at least in our lifetime. Personally, I’ve been amazed at how I’ve adapted to this new normal. Before the pandemic I would barely spend any time at home, I was always running around trying to soak in as much of the outside world as I could. But now, I’m very comfortable staying home and watching Netflix on a Friday night - it doesn’t even bother me.
It’s habitual.
But now, as we start to emerge from the darkness and vaccines light the way, we’re going to slowly move towards a world that we once knew - one in which we don’t have to stay in one place, but we can live out our innate humanity and desire to explore and connect.
Will we though?
Based purely on my own physical reaction to a few social occasions in the last week or two, it’s become a lot harder to get myself off that couch to get out there. I’m seemingly not as eager to jump into the external world because things are just so comfy right here.
There’s a term in chemistry called ‘activation energy’ that describes this feeling perfectly. The term refers to the minimum amount of energy that must be provided to a compound in order to create a chemical reaction. When you combine two reactive elements, you won’t see anything happen for a while until that activation energy is reached and then you immediately see things happen.
My level of social activation energy is much higher than it once was. I’m much more likely to stay on that couch than I am to race off to try something new. Some of this is age (30 approaches…) but a lot of it is due to the habits that this pandemic has created.
However you look at it though, I’m much happier and more content when I am prioritizing social connection. It’s a crucial component for keeping me sane, and I’m assuming you’re in the same boat. So, I have to break that mindset of just staying at home because it’s comfortable and cozy. I have to slowly lower my activation energy so that it’s easier to jump up with enthusiasm and get out there.
It’s the same feeling with anything that is hard.
Exercise? Check.
Deep work? Check.
Healthy eating? Check.
Reading a book? Check.
Activation energy plays a much bigger part in our lives than we like to admit, and I really think that it’s the difference between those people who make the most out of their time on this earth, and those who wile it away binging Netflix.
It should go without saying that I’m not condoning any breaking of the social distancing rules or any of that. Stay safe out there.
New Podcast: The End of the Royal Family?
On this episode of the podcast we discuss Twitter’s new products, Spotify’s podcasting plans, the Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan, Piers Morgan’s resignation, the big bovine burp problem, immersive gaming, and Gail Honeyman’s novel ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’. It’s a cracker of an episode and we hope you enjoy it!
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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It’s very difficult for any of us to truly understand what those healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight have had to face over the last year. I don’t think we can even fathom the emotional toll that its taken on these heroes. This video really made that clear for me as it takes a look inside a COVID ICU ward and shows just how draining it has been for those people. I cried. Thank you to everyone who has been on the frontlines, we are forever indebted to you. (Link)
I’ve thought for a while that this fascination with people building an ‘audience’ first with a view to eventually monetize it is a little backward. This article from Jakob Greenfield articulated the point really well. We should be trying to build actual businesses. (Link)
The internet delivered by donkey. (Link)
NFTs have taken the world by storm in recent weeks and the major name that is on everyone’s lips is an artist called Beeple. He sold an NFT this past week for $69m which is an insane figure. This is a great article about him and the technology in general. (Link)
This is an insane drone shot that must be seen to be believed. (Link)
That’s all for this week! I hope you have a great week ahead and I’ll see you back here again, same time, same place. Be kind to yourself!
Barry