Working through a pandemic
During the past 6 months many of us have had to respond to changes to our jobs, often at short notice. You might have experienced changes to your responsibilities and the level of demand placed on you. You might have been furloughed, made redundant, been caught in the crossfire while transitioning into a new role or caring for yourself or others. With so many people affected in so many ways, how are you working through the pandemic?
A change of scenery
If you’ve been working from home perhaps you’ve been finding new ways to maintain boundaries around when, where, and how you make yourself available. If you’ve continued to work on site perhaps you’ve been getting used to a new environment, trying to keep yourself safe when going about your daily routine. Maybe you’re working in isolation or are finding ways to work while surrounded by family, flatmates, or neighbours. Whatever your situation, I wonder how a change in scenery has left you feeling and whether any of the following emotions seem familiar: isolated, supported, overlooked, included, overwhelmed, relieved, overburdened, lightened, inefficient, productive. Although it might feel uneasy, there will probably have been a mixture of positive and negative effects for you.
Our sense of identity
We can have a habit of closely linking identity to the work we do. When introducing ourselves to someone new it’s often an automatic response to give our job title, like a quiz show contestant suddenly having a microphone thrust in their face and needing a convenient soundbite. However, if you ask a friend or family member what draws them to you it’s most likely not going to be your employment history. Are you able to put a name to the other things that you’re made up of? What are your interests, personal qualities, culture, beliefs, values, experiences, and important relationships? Being able to name the many different parts of ourselves can help us recognise our full worth.
Our sense of security
It’s easy to place our work at the centre of our world. It can provide a sense of purpose, structure, and routine as well as underpinning other parts of our life – our ability to provide for others, to create a comfortable living space, and to access things that give us pleasure and energise us. When our work feels unpredictable it can put a lot of strain on us. In the context of a pandemic, with so much disruption around, this pressure can feel even greater. Are there are other things in your life that can help you feel anchored, such as family, community, or faith? When we feel safe, we find it easier to comfort ourselves and focus on ways to develop our future security.
Taking back control
Change, or even the threat of possible change, can leave us feeling helpless and sometimes also hopeless. The following techniques might be useful at times when you begin to feel overwhelmed by a sense of uncertainty.
Stay in the ‘now’ or in the moment until it feels safe. Give yourself permission not to focus too much on the future while the outside world is so unsettled.
Be kind to yourself. Listen to how you’re feeling and show yourself care, without comparing your situation to that of other people.
Notice what you can control. This might be a small part of a much bigger picture, but it can help us to focus our energy in the right place and feel more empowered.
Further information
Mental Health charity MIND has produced a series of resources to support people experiencing a range of changes and challenges due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Further Reading
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