I hope these lines give some perspective on what people in different contexts have been going through during these challenging times.
Being a new mom, during a pandemic, in a foreign country, without my family or a support system to rely on, motherhood & maternity leave has been harder than I could have ever imagined.
I remember planning (and even promising) to return to work 4 months after giving birth 😆. And afterwards, realizing how it became impossible to do so; between constant lockdowns making it difficult to hire a nanny and managing “working from home” with a new born it became obvious I needed to focus 200% in being present with our son.
On top of that, both of us (my husband & I) are working on startups, so you can imagine how the demands on time and effort are way above average when you are trying to build and scale-up a company. And, I have payed the price; feeling like I’m letting down both my son as a mother, and my company as a team member.
It’s been exhausting in every way, physically mentally and emotionally. Trying to stay on top of it all while managing what my doctor called: “normal postpartum depression, not severe enough to require intervention but strong enough to monitor it”.
Just like this example of my current context, I’m sure you (reading this) have also been going through a sum of challenging situations. So here I am sharing my challenges to hopefully make you feel less “alone” in how you might be feeling right now.
Maybe this pandemic teaches us enough to stay open and understanding in our post-pandemic world.
It is important to also mention that businesses need to keep going (“the show must go on”), we all depend on a healthy economy where businesses keep growing, evolving and creating value. This is why we keep pushing, this is why we keep caring about our jobs and responsibilities. Because it is during these times when companies needs us the most, these are the challenges that make companies thrive or die, and all of us in the workforce are the ones who will define that.
With all this in mind, I would like to ask for patience and empathy with everyone you are interacting with. The easiest way I have found to do so is to Always first assume positive intent.
This premise helps all interactions to be much more constructive & productive specially when so many of those interactions are happening digitally. Lets assume the best intent from people until proven wrong. Remember, we are all in this together.
I hope I get so see you soon.
Big hug, Ale.
The Yogi Coder 