Let’s stop talking about the New Normal

‘New Normal’ is a phrase we hear a lot at the moment, often intended to describe new patterns of consumption in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses seem to want to impress on us some urgency to reach this new phase or ‘status’, and to adopt whatever tools they might be offering to make things easier (online focus group anyone?).

Initially, as a researcher, I found ‘New Normal’ a helpful way to think about the process of adjustment being faced by us all. Increasingly though, it’s a term that is eye-rollingly repetitive and maybe unhelpful. Arguably, it implies that there is a journey from A to B; that once the train arrives at New Normal station and we get our bearings, we will have achieved some level of resolution and feel okay again. But the problem is, nobody knows where that station is or how long it will take to get there.

Contrary to business yearnings, many humans I know or have researched aren’t thinking in terms of any kind of medium- or end-term destination. They’re simply trying to achieve some kind of equilibrium in the here and now. It can be a gargantuan effort to constantly manage one’s own fears and responsibilities, and the act of coping in itself can be draining. It’s no surprise that the World Health Organisation has issued a suite of information and guidance on maintaining mental health in the pandemic, or that Mind has declared a mental health emergency.

What can business do to play its part? Perhaps we could stop talking about the New Normal and start acknowledging the mental health aspect of the crisis a little more. Perhaps we could show more empathy in our words. Perhaps we could sacrifice a little short-term profit to provide some services for free, or reach out to those in most need, or simplify our engagement models. Those businesses which do, will be remembered warmly.

On this, the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week, let’s stop talking about the ‘New Normal’, and start talking about how we help people cope with today.