Harcourts Inside

9 INSIDE Harcourts The last 18months have quite simply been extraordinary. Starting 2020, we all shared a common optimismabout the year ahead – strong economic growth, low interest rates and a general confidence that the year ahead looked very good. Then Covid arrived and inMarch 2020 we were plunged into lockdown and everything changed. Our world has changed, for themajority of us, into something we have never experienced before. We immediately started planning for a significant recession and all the implications of that. We all became engrossed in the news and the daily Covid updates. We learnedmore about viruses, transmission, facemasks, vaccines and vaccine efficacy thanwe ever thought we would need to. We cancelled holidays, movedweddings and totally reassessed our plans for the year ahead. We very quickly learned how to adapt to life in a pandemic. And as we have now experienced, somuch of what we thought might happen, didn’t andmany other things that we never contemplatedwould, in fact did. Our economies have bounced back incredibly strong from the initial lock downs, the real estatemarket has especially gone fromstrength to strengthwith volume and price growthmost of us have never experienced. Many professions and industries have also enjoyed record growth and results – anything to dowith DIY and home renovations, newhome builders, car sales, electronics suppliers, sub-contractors, breweries andwine makers. Inmany locations we havemore jobs than people to fill them. At the same time, some parts of our society and economy are suffering significantly – tourist related businesses, our airlines, the arts and entertainment, universities, hospitality, gyms and personal trainers. We all knowpeople that are under major financial stress. For many this has also been a time where we have not been able to visit family and friends in other states and countries. One of themost significant impacts, which I don’t believe we truly understand the gravity of, is the impact on us all mentally and emotionally. Whether you are in a region relatively Covid free, a country with relaxed restrictions or an area in themiddle of your sixth lockdown, the emotional impact is just as strong. As human beings we are all instinctively adverse to change and the unknown. We prefer certainty and consistency. We all suffer some degree of anxiety whenwe don’t knowwhat’s about to happen next. Stress andworry are normally generated by things that are out of our control, that we continually think about the ‘what ifs’. And as we all understand, often the vast majority of the things we worry about never actually happen and yet we still worry and become anxious. Living in a prolonged time of complete uncertainty is incredibly hard. On top of that, even thoughwe have taken breaks and travelledwithin our state or country, we really haven’t taken time out. We haven’t had an overseas holiday where we really do switch off and take a break. Even travelling locally, we still see the news, we have our laptops and iPhones and sowe really don’t disconnect. We all know just how important it is to regularly take time out and destress and unwind – andwe just aren’t currently doing it and haven’t for the last 18months. COVID FATIGUE, HOWARE YOU GOING? A reflection by Mike Green , Executive Director Operations Sowhat canwe do to help ourselves and the people around us to deal with Covid Stress? Everyone around us – our family, our friends, our colleagues, our clients and in fact everyone we come into contact with is dealing with the same challenging world. We really are all in this together, so above all else, understand and remember that and be kind to all around you. Firstly, be aware of the signs that someone close to you isn’t coping with the current challenges. If you see these in others, talk to them. Ask if they're OK. Significant fatigue Can’t concentrate Broken sleep Feeling overwhelmed Irritable Increased alcohol consumption If you have some of the symptoms yourself, or simply want to dowhat you can to avoid themand stay fit andmentally healthy, here’s some simple steps to follow. 1. Have a plan – write it down 2. Create structure – that’s what we have currently largely lost 3. In the plan and structure: 4. Talk about your plan and any concerns you have with your partner, family of colleagues » Daily exercise – even a 30minute walk each morning » Put a contact plan in place with important people in your life – weekly calls » Monitor sleep » Monitor alcohol consumption IN FEATURE