We may have enjoyed a close relationship with our colleagues prior to COVID-19, but experiencing isolated environments can create heightened emotions, including a great fear of becoming ill from colleagues.
Fear is a powerful emotion and can lead to a lack of self-governing abilities, called amygdala hijack, which is named for the affected part of our primal brain when emotion takes over from logic.
Since self-governing is a key factor in our ability to react appropriately to situations, amygdala hijack can create unanticipated tensions and conflicts, including misunderstandings. When this occurs, the potential for skewed perceptions of bullying is great. It can disrupt our workplaces and reduce the effectiveness of work teams, and ultimately our output.
