Sylvia in Shanghai: reduce your anxiety levels by being selective about what you read on Covid-19
- Keep In Touch
- Le 9 avril 2020
How was the situation managed in Shanghai?
Measures were clear and swiftly implemented in Shanghai: we received clear information in several languages on the symptoms and where to go if an infection was suspected. People limited their movements to the essential and wore masks when going out, the city government reassured early as the quantity of food supplies at a reasonable price, quick identification of infected people and of the people they had interacted with, etc. If I’m not mistaken, during that time, Shanghai registered around 350 cases (and unfortunately 3 deaths) for a population of 23-24 million (probably less since many people were out due to Chinese New Year), so I believe the situation was effectively controlled. It's not over yet, so we should remain cautious.
What measures do you think worked the best?
I think the home confinement + social distancing and quick identification of suspected cases helped a lot.
How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during lockdown?
Since living abroad, I’ve used social networks to speak with them, so no changes there, I probably spoke more with family and friends during this period if anything.
What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France?
To be selective about what you’re reading on covid-19: it’s important to stay up to date, but it’s a case where too much information can cause lots of anxiety. And to look for silver linings despite the difficulties they might experience during this period, it does help to look for the bright side.
How are you preparing to return to work/or going back to the office?
We’ve been working remotely since early February, luckily, our industry enables us to do so. And we’ve been back in the office since mid-March, except for the team members in quarantine.
Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use?
I took more time to reach out to people I care for, and I plan to keep those conversations going.
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Ayush in Paris: being at home totally changes your work-life balance
27 year-old Ayush Chandel is from India and he is coming to the end of his studies on Audencia’s MSCPM programme. He is currently on an internship with PSA, the French car manufacturer, in Paris. Ayush shares his experience of being on lockdown. “There is a saying by Anthony T. Hincks that ‘When you work from home there is no such thing as a holiday.’ I must admit that this is how I feel since the breakout of COVID-19, as every business and employee works from home or remotely. When you’re equipped with high tech resources, it’s become simple to be on the same page as what you were while being at work.” For Ayush, like all other workers in France, it has been three weeks since the beginning of the lockdown. He says that being at home has made him robust, productive and efficient. “There are more meetings but working hours don’t seem as long as it’s you who decide when to log in and log out.” He goes on to say that the positive aspect of being at home is being in control of your agenda and shaping every hour with an activity whether it is to do with work, a meeting or something home-related. Being at home changes the work-life balance and the time spent working or with family definitely goes off track. The best thing to do is to schedule each hour with dedicated activities. “For me, my morning starts at 6am with one hour of cardio followed by spending another hour on breakfast. After that, I start working until around 5pm and after that, I usually spend another couple of hours consulting other businesses or getting news updates. The remaining time is with family.” Ayush’s main piece of advice is to change activities regularly. “Don’t stick to one thing for too long, involve yourself in many activities and keep to a schedule. Use all of your living space for a bit of variety. I have started gardening, cooking, playing soccer in my backyard and a lot more.” Keeping busy is positive and refreshing says Ayush. “It’s spring so sitting in the sun at the weekend won’t make you sick!” He also recommends reconnecting with relatives who are far away. How are you keeping in touch with your family and friends during lockdown? Communication tools were all in place before lockdown but Ayush has noticed that connection times are longer. “You cannot hang-up your mum’s call when she is telling you the same news which you have already heard 10 times before,” he jokes. “The funny thing now is that you work and cook all together with family. Your mom becomes your boss, dad is CEO and other relatives and friends are co-workers.” But all at a distance for the time being. What advice would you give to friends and alumni in India who are preparing to go into lockdown? Avoid going outside for the coming weeks! “I know we all need food but we can be smart and stay out of contact with anything which might have been touched by someone else. Remember, all this is for our health and safety,” he adds. Ayush also reminds everyone to make sure they have the basic essentials to work from home – laptop (AND adaptor!), headphones for meetings, VPN access, external drive/hard disk, contact details of IT support and HR. Ayush has a special message for those who will be on their own: be enterprising, get involved in as many activities as you can and discover your hidden talents! “When you find yourself on your own, you become the hero and the boss of your life; no one’s going to be there for any kind of physical support. Use your time to network and make new connections that will lead you to the many solutions once you are out in the real world again.” What have you learnt about yourself so far? I discovered, to my surprise, that I am capable of being productive and efficient while being at home! Are there any new habits that you are gaining during your confinement that you hope to continue to use? regular Cardio training spending time in the garden or close to nature to understand its beauty cooking – I’ve become an expert!
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