As we approach the one-year anniversary of lock-down in the UK we have all come to terms with a world, and way of life, that was unimaginable at the end of 2019.
While many have been seriously affected by the economic environment, I have seen those who are still in work affected in very different ways. For some, the on-line environment has created additional demands on their time and they have found it difficult to set boundaries between work and home life. This has been exasperated by the constant demands of on-line meetings scheduled often, back-to-back. This has created a strange situation where there is no break between commitments and whereas they might previously have at least got a change of scenery, a coffee and a trip to the toilet. Now many feel shackled to a seat and a screen for a numbingly long amount of time, with loved one's delivering refreshments in the background! It would appear that this new working world is going to need us to set very different boundaries and to schedule at least some ‘transfer time’. We may need to reflect on how we are working and make some decisions to help ourselves perform at our best. Unless we can do that, we risk burning out some very committed and conscientious people.
By contrast, others have taken the opportunity to re-evaluate priorities and rather than running faster, have decided to slow down and never return to the life they were living before March 2020.
Personal circumstances are different for all of us, but these events do require us to reflect on how we are currently living and what action we need to take to go forward.
What have you learnt about yourself and your relationship to work?
What have you decided are your real priorities?
What decision do you need to take?
While many have been seriously affected by the economic environment, I have seen those who are still in work affected in very different ways. For some, the on-line environment has created additional demands on their time and they have found it difficult to set boundaries between work and home life. This has been exasperated by the constant demands of on-line meetings scheduled often, back-to-back. This has created a strange situation where there is no break between commitments and whereas they might previously have at least got a change of scenery, a coffee and a trip to the toilet. Now many feel shackled to a seat and a screen for a numbingly long amount of time, with loved one's delivering refreshments in the background! It would appear that this new working world is going to need us to set very different boundaries and to schedule at least some ‘transfer time’. We may need to reflect on how we are working and make some decisions to help ourselves perform at our best. Unless we can do that, we risk burning out some very committed and conscientious people.
By contrast, others have taken the opportunity to re-evaluate priorities and rather than running faster, have decided to slow down and never return to the life they were living before March 2020.
Personal circumstances are different for all of us, but these events do require us to reflect on how we are currently living and what action we need to take to go forward.
What have you learnt about yourself and your relationship to work?
What have you decided are your real priorities?
What decision do you need to take?
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