This article was first published by Annie Teh of Pigeonhole Live on her LinkedIn profile. Republished with her permission.
Work as we know it is changing. Scratch that, Life as we know it is changing.
As we adjust to the new normal in the midst of this pandemic, it can be easy to feel like we need to set the same expectations, or possibly even higher expectations on ourselves. As we work from home, we should be working longer hours and achieving even better results than before our lives changed forever – right?
Is this way of thinking understandable? Definitely. The correlation between effort and success has been a narrative passed down from the last generation; if we’re faced with adversity, we should work harder than before to become successful. The effort that we put into anything we do is completely in our control, and in a time of uncertainty, is what we naturally lean into.
The danger comes when we don’t take into account the context of our current struggles. Our daily routines have been thrown off balance. Our usual way of connecting with others has been severed. While we’re struggling to meet our usual level of productivity, we forget that we’re also thinking about a million other things — Are our families safe? Will I have enough food? Will I still have a job a month from now? Will I stay healthy during this time? Will I survive this loneliness? Have I washed my hands enough?
And as we process and adapt, we expend energy. We get tired and demoralised. Add to that our lack of boundaries between our physical work and life spaces, and we move closer to a novel brand of burnout.
This mental exhaustion that we feel is real. Ignoring it as we set these expectations on ourselves does no favours for us.
A Time For Introspection
As we go through these uncertain times, let’s take the foot off the pedal and take some time for introspection. Instead of pushing ourselves to reach high expectations of productivity, look inwards and observe the effect of living in a pandemic on your mental health.
As written in Forbes: “In this time of COVID-19 mental health IS health. It is foundational to overall health and maintaining the mental health of people right now is a fundamental priority for maintaining workforce health.”
Some guiding questions that may help:
- What emotions am I feeling towards the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What are my biggest worries during this time?
- How am I taking care of my health (emotional, physical) during this time?
- How am I taking care of the relationships in my life?
- How am I adapting my work routines? Have they been helpful?
- Am I in control of the amount of information I’m getting about Covid-19? If not, what can I do about it?
- Am I relying on unhealthy habits to get by? What healthy habits can I rely on at this time?
Here are some apps and services that might help.
- Headspace: My favourite meditation app. They’re great for beginners, or if you want more tailored meditation for focus, stress, anxiety, or work motivation. If you’re having trouble sleeping, they have these relaxing sleepscapes as well.
- Insight Timer: Another great meditation app! You can pick from a huge archive of meditation tracks from a wide variety of voices, topics, and duration.
- Calm: I personally like Calm for sleepless nights. When your mind is running at full speed at 3am, a calm voice to focus on can help you relax and stop the racing.
- BetterHelp: This app is great at lowering the barrier to seeking professional help. You get automatically paired with a licensed therapist that you can text or call. They also offer group session on anxieties during Covid-19, so you don’t have to feel alone.
- Moodpath: If you’d rather not talk to a therapist, Moodpath has a ton of audio and written exercises to help you learn coping skills during this difficult time. It also comes with a mood journal, so you gain insights into your own emotions and triggers.
- Day One: I tend to struggle keeping a physical journal, so I’ve switched to this app for all my journaling needs. You can download it on your computer or on your phone, and even put photos and links in as well.
- Hotlines and Helplines: If you are struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts, or just want to get on the phone with someone, here’s a list of numbers you can call in Singapore.
Let’s come together to keep mental health a priority in our virtual workplaces. Check in with your co-workers, managers, teams, and friends. Ask each other how they’re doing and how they’re feeling. Make room for these conversations, and we’ll get through this tough time together.
Read Also: Can Freelancing Be A Sustainable Long-Term Career In Singapore?
Subscribe To The DollarsAndSense Business Pass
Enjoy what you are reading and want more? Join The DollarsAndSense Business Pass and unlock access to valuable tools, exclusive networking opportunities, and tap into the wisdom of industry experts to fuel your business expansion!
