Tools to Re-frame “Return to Normal”: Amplify, Hospice, Create Protocol
Dear friends,
Happy New Year! How are you feeling in 2022 so far?
I know it’s early to say, but this year seems like one I will remember. I will (hopefully) remember it as the last year of the pandemic (please!). It’s also the year I turn 40. Today is my birthday actually, and I wanted to spend some of it chatting with you.
As we cross the threshold into a new year (and I celebrate 40), I’m reflecting on all that’s happened from 2020 to today.
I recently shared an article on LinkedIn that asked the question:
Should we be seeking a “return to normal”, or should we be using this time to reimagine our lives and communities going forward post-pandemic?
The article cites MIT researchers (Reich and Mehta) who used discussion groups to brainstorm ideas for reimagining post-pandemic schools. In their discussions, teachers and students were asked to identify items in three categories . They were:
Amplify
Hospice
Create
Here are reflective questions for each term based upon the researchers' definitions.
Amplify – What have we learned from the last two years that we want to remember and use as a catalyst for growth and change?
Hospice – What are we are ready to let go of from our pre-pandemic lives?
Create — With this learning in mind, what solutions can we create to move ourselves and our communities forward in a new and better way?
The title for the report that Reich and Mehta wrote began with the words, “Healing, Community, and Humanity...” These three qualities stood out as most important in reimagining post-COVID education.
When using these questions to reflect on my own life and work, I similar themes arose:
Amplify - One thing I’ve learned from the last few years is that I can facilitate my own healing and create healing spaces for others in very difficult times. I’ve also learned I can speak up to save myself and others from harm.
Hospice – I am ready to let go of language and practices that frame well-being individualistically. When groups and systems are unwell, this "self- care" content can be a harmful form of gaslighting; (if it ignores problems in our communities and organizations that make self-care difficult or impossible).
Create – One solution I want to create is a comprehensive framework for well-being that addresses group, system, and individual levels. I want to use this framework to speak out against wellness content that creates shame and blame (is only self-care focused) and to promote thinking, ideas, and interventions that recognize the contexts in which individuals care for themselves.
I share all of this in the hopes that you can use this liminal space we’re in—this longing for something new combined with the awareness that we aren’t out of the woods yet—to reflect on the past and create a way forward. If you are a leader, you can also use these tools to give voice to your stakeholders and identify group and system-level solutions.
I created a graphic organizer for use with the “Amplify, Hospice, Create” protocol.
You can download it here, and it includes instructions and a personal example.
Big virtual hugs,
Brandi
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