Today , even though our brethren in countries like India and Brazil are still fighting the pandemic in earnest , it seems most of us have learned — after 15 long months — how to live amongst an enemy we cannot see . And with a renewed sense of appreciation for the impact that our actions have on one another , we have taken account of our losses , reimagined operational protocols at work and in life , and cautiously hung our “ open ” signs again with a mix of optimism and trepidation .
The question I have been asking myself , my friends , colleagues and clients is this : are you truly ready to return to life and business as usual ?
Operationally , the answer has been a resounding yes , despite the awkwardness of reopening restrictions in some cases , the reconfiguration of the office and / or hybrid work policies in others and the ongoing labor shortages that continue to plague the spa , wellness and hospitality industries .
And that ’ s when I usually smile and empathetically clarify my question , which was actually personal , not professional . You see , my real question is this : Will you take the lessons of the pandemic to protect and nurture your resilience as our world recovers , or will you develop a convenient case of amnesia in order to quickly get back to life circa 2019 ?
THE MARKET FOR TRAVEL AND WELLNESS
By all accounts , the pent-up demand for both travel and wellness — not to mention , wellness travel where spas play a starring role — is palpable . The first two days of Memorial Day weekend here in the United States , according to Jan Freitag and friends at Smith Travel Research , saw occupancy levels at their highest since October 2019 . 1 And today , the combination of delayed leisure travel ( think weddings and trips planned around milestone birthdays and anniversaries , for example ) and the innate desire to escape to more spacious , natural landscapes , or the sheer desire to reconnect with family and friends leads me to believe that revenge travel — revenge living — is about to swiftly take flight .
Again , I ask : are you ready ? What about your families , your teams ? Have you taken a moment to discuss what habits or protocols you ’ d like to abandon for good , and which you will invite to stay ? I truly believe that this is the gift of the pandemic ; one where we get to reevaluate our resilience and better prepare it for a future of flourishing together .
POST-TRAUMATIC REALITY CHECK FOR THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS
Most spa and wellness owners , managers and partners agree that they were not well-prepared for the impact of the pandemic , or the need to quickly shift and adjust to such rapid change on both personal and professional levels . Moreover , with the need to wear so many hats at work and at home , and with so many factors out of their control , their resilience was gravely impacted . They are now looking to build up their “ resilience muscles ” so they are better prepared to adapt to life ’ s challenges along the way .
Thankfully , during ISPA ’ s Stronger Together Summit in May , I had the good fortune to do just that with the help of some amazing women who help companies and individuals to thrive as part of their day jobs : Renee Moorefield , CEO of Wisdom Works Group , Inc ., Leigh Weinraub , founder of MIND IN MOTION and Jane Cho , executive coach at Jane Cho consulting . These were our two biggest “ a-ha !” moments :
● There ’ s an important difference between resilience ( the ability to recover quickly from hardships and / or even continue to thrive throughout them ) and
“ Will you take the lessons of the pandemic to protect and nurture your resilience as our world recovers , or will you develop a convenient case of amnesia in order to quickly get back to life circa 2019 ?”
1 https :// str . com / data-insights-blog / us-market-recovery-monitor-week-ending-29-may
AUGUST 2021 ■ PULSE 21