The three horsemen of the pandemic

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By Samantha Anderson

This International Women’s Day, we wanted to do something a little bit different. In partnership with Meet & Engage, we invited the highly respected keynote speaker, Katherine Templar Lewis, to talk to the Inner Circle about the three horsemen of the pandemic. With a long list of previous engagements, such as Sky News, BBC Radio 4, 5Live, NBC and so many more, this was set to be an interesting discussion.

And it was exactly that. An interesting discussion. We were joined by 50 of our members, from senior leaders in employer branding, talent attraction and early careers positions, across a whole number of industries.

As Katherine has a background in neuroscience, as we all as being a futurist, she shared what she has found is the three horsemen of this pandemic, Isolation, Stress and Uncertainty. Throughout the talk, she shared how these three things can impact our brains, and the way we work.

Throughout the discussion, Katharine highlights how stress, isolation and uncertainty have impacted us mentally, as well as how it can have an effect physically. Did you know that our brains are not built for long-term stress? That’s why we become tired, are reaching for the snacks, and feel generally drained from it. Our bodies are struggling to keep up with the stress. And the same goes for isolation and uncertainty. Loneliness was a topic that already existed pre-pandemic but wasn’t as widely discussed. Thanks to lockdown, it is becoming a topic that is more widely discussed and is actually being looked at.

But the pandemic didn’t bring all doom and gloom into our businesses. A lot of companies have reported an increase in productivity, and some companies have even released statements about permanent working from home. But, it wasn’t the tech savvy companies that have experienced this. While they have done well, it’s actually the companies with strong cultures and a strong support system that have done well.

It was an interesting discussion, with many interesting points made. And a lot of ones that could be implemented now. Once the talk finished, we held a 15 minute discussion and networking session, where everyone could discuss their views. After the event, Katharine kindly shared a list of extra resources for those that wanted to find out more, and some top tips of what we can change right now. If you’d also like to watch the recording, you can do so here.