Adversity Quotient: Working with Wellness in a Disruptive-Triggered Situation

Judy Ann Pasco Pagtalunan

I would always remember the words coming from a great mind, inventor and entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, “eat your food and love your work as medicines, for when you’re old, you don’t have to drink your medicines as your food”. We, the professionals and those who belong in the working population of our country must have at least once realized the pressure and stress we get out of work. The amount of responsibility on our shoulders at work most of the time is beyond what we have signed up for. Yet, day to day, we still wake up, go to work and finish all that need to be done. The same routine repeats for a lifetime.

Working with people coming from different walks of life can bring stress to anyone. We all have different ideals, beliefs, routines, and personalities. And sometimes, these differences may result to some misunderstanding in the workplace. Miscommunications may happen most of the time, again as a result of the difference in our culture, ethnic and environmental background. However, all these are just minor cases that may be resolved through some sorts of agreement/understanding brought about by small talks. Discomforts and most issues at work weigh less compare to the relationship and support we have established in our respective workplaces.

The pandemic brought confusion and challenged the set systems and relationships in every workplace. Believe it or not, deadlines and schedules are sharper now compared to the traditional set up we used to have. Though most things are done online, dealing with the “self” is more complicated than dealing with others for the “self” will find it more difficult compromise with itself.

Discipline in following set routines is a key to avoiding self-induced stress. Our adversity quotient reflects how we cope up with the changes around us. Now, faced with a great shift in our set-practices, the more we need to adhere to our routines. Being at home and doing your work is not as simple as it may seem. For the past months we’ve been doing this, we have already realized that drawing a fine line between our activities at home and our responsibilities at work will surely make a difference with how we adopt ourselves to the situation.

Wellness amidst the disruptive-triggered situation brought by the pandemic may be ironic from itself. Yet, everything will all boil down to us. How we perceive and how we process the situation in front of us is all up to us. Thus, success and failure of our work/ responsibilities, again are all dependent to us. Right mindset and positive outlook in life, typical as they may seem, are still very important things we cannot take away from our systems.

--oOo-