Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all,
I have a very customer-facing job, and pre-lockdown was able to mask whilst at work fairly successfully, though it was exhausting at times. I have the advantage of spending a lot of the day by myself as well, and so was able to use this time to "recharge" before going back into the customer-facing environment. Over lockdown my role has been predominantly at home doing meetings over Skype/Zoom/Teams etc., but now that I'm working face-to-face more and more I feel like I've regressed massively. Masking seems to take orders of magnitude more effort than it did before lockdown. I realise that this could probably be put down to lack of practise, but it is concerning me.
Has anyone else had this experience? Please tell me it's not just me...
It feels like this has kind of happened to me already. I was only out of work during the 1st lockdown but I was starting to get used to it and even maybe enjoying it with the great weather and so on. The problem was when I did go back it was busier than ever and non-stop, culminating in a massive burn-out at the end of the year lasting over 2 months. I've had burn-outs before but this time it knocked me for six and I was aware of it coming. I had no choice in the matter.
I realise a lot of people have had more time at home than this or some for the duration of the pandemic but I think I probably would have had the same result as, for me, it was the change of pace form one lifestyle to another. The 1st lockdown seemed like the world had altered to me. No traffic, clear skies, no airplanes, no alarm clocks, walks in nature, great weather and generally quiet & calm. This I'd never experienced before. Like someone had hit the pause button or at least turned the volume down. The world felt more natural and with no obligation to have to work, it felt like a kind of freedom. I could breathe. It made me think of how unfree and stressed we are in normal times without giving a second thought.
So to go from getting used to the new calm, where I was going to do wonders in my life and plans and then back into full-on, non-stop work and the Hamster wheel again was probably an unconscious shock to the system resulting in burn-out. Maybe the other lockdowns not being taken so seriously may have helped get people more ready for normal but I'm not so sure. I think employers would be wise to be very flexible and understanding in easing those back into full-on or stressful type work over the coming year.
A 4 day week would be a move in the right direction !