This article was originally published in Turkish on HBR Türkiye, in May 2021. View Turkish version here.
One of the most common assumptions in economics is that of 'Ceteris Paribus', meaning 'all other conditions remaining constant'. I had always questioned this assumption until the pandemic. Have you noticed that everything in life seems to have become stagnant since the pandemic began? During this period of isolation, days pass but nothing seems to change. From dawn to dusk, our daily routines remain exactly the same.
But the current state of the world has made most of our daily lives feel like 'Ceteris Paribus'.We've been working from home for months, eating breakfast at the same table where we have our meetings. Even if there are three sofas at home, we still choose to sit on the same sofa. We live in a routine, stuck in an unchanging cycle. And while we may have already had routines in our work lives, these routines included our colleagues,our friends, and our families. Now our conversations with the people in our lives have become limited, confined to virtual meetings and phone calls.In our pre-pandemic lives, we might have used the same road to get to work or go to the same gym every morning, but there was still variety in our lives. We could even modify our routines according to our wants and needs on any given day.
This stale routine we’ve all found ourselves in reminds me of one of the movies that has influenced me the most: 1993’s Groundhog Day. In the movie, Bill Murray is stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same day over and over again. At first he enjoys it, seeing it as a game to impress the woman he loves (Andie MacDowell). As time passes, it becomes easier to wake up and relive the same day. He even begins to enjoy experiencing what seems to be a life free of consequence, learning the ins and outs of the small, isolated world around him and taking the opportunity to make holistic improvements in his life. In his case, routine actually comes in handy. But before long, he falls into a deep depression because of the rut he finds himself in. By the movie’s end, he discovers how much things can improve with a simple shift in perspective, even while stuck living the same day on repeat. This leads to a breaking point for his character– although I won’t spoil how things end for those of you who haven't watched the movie.
The movie gives the message that a positive change in perspective can be beneficial to both ourselves and the people around us. And that philosophy is what ultimately allows our hero to become a better man and earns the affection of the woman he loves.
Much like in Groundhog Day, it is normal for all of us to have ups and downs during this period of isolation, when most of us seem to wake up to the same Groundhog Day-style loop day every morning. Don't we all dream of living a life we know, just like in the movie? Avoiding the traffic of a morning commute, working from home when the weather is miserable, preparing coffee right from our own kitchen, spending more time with our loved ones... Initially, it seemed like a dream come true. But as this routine grew stagnant, our life became 'Ceteris Paribus', just like in the movie.
For months we have been living our lives without socializing or traveling. These days will pass, of course, but it’s clear that we have a difficult period ahead of us before we return to a true sense of normalcy. We have run out of patience; we are tired, we are bored, and the negative news we receive from others only adds to those feelings of depression. So how do we proceed? The principles and practices outlined below were helpful for me..
- I allowed myself to be imperfect, bending my rules and principles when necessary.
- I tried to feel and manage my emotions rather than suppress them. I allowed myself to feel both the highs and lows while maintaining compassion for myself.
- I started keeping a diary where I wrote down my feelings. This made it easier for me to recognize and manage my emotions and my thoughts. I even turned my writing into a hobby and created a website to publish my articles on.
- I prioritized the importance of healthy nutrition, sleep habits, and exercise to protect my mental, spiritual, and physical health. For example, I realized that I had never given yoga a chance, so I used this as an opportunity to try it.
- I chose to read books about positive psychology and happiness.
- I shared my feelings and thoughts with my team at the company, my friends, and my family more frequently.
- I tried to stay away from people and issues that brought me down psychologically.
- I set aside specific times for socializing, even if it was virtual. My team and I have made it a habit to end the week on a positive note by chatting as a group at our 'Coffee Hour' every Friday afternoon.
We can even go a step further with these principles, which in themselves reflect positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on the meaningful and positive aspects of life, rather than the negativities, when determining a solution. Instead of saying “How can I get out of this depression?” try saying “How can I become happier?” This reframes the situation to focus on the answer to the problem rather than dwelling on the problem itself. This does not mean ignoring the negative aspects of life; it merely means focusing our energy and emotions on the positive side instead.
And while I do not ignore the negative aspects of life, I do choose to embrace my routine and focus on my sphere of influence, as opposed to spending energy on the things in my life I cannot change.
So during this pandemic period, and with all other conditions being equal in this state of ‘Ceteris Paribus’, do you think positive psychology can change our lives for the better, just as it did for Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? For me, the answer is a resounding “yes”.