This year has been without a doubt one of the craziest years for everyone. A lot of things have changed and working from home was probably one of the hardest adjustments.
Getting used to the new normal
Mostly, if not everyone now has to work from home, as well as learn from home. By late April, more than half of all workers which accounts for more than two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity reported being home full-time working. In the beginning, it seemed like it would only be for a couple of weeks and ended up being months more. Some may love the leisure of waking up minutes before work to just walking to a desk. But for some, it was more difficult not to go to work. Others who still have to go to work may be fearing they will end up getting Covid-19, or just hate having to wear a mask all day.
Ashley Ricci, a Sergeant for the White Plains Police Department said, ¨The mask does not interfere with the job unless you have to run after a fleeing perpetrator for several blocks. The hardest adjustment for me was incorporating the mask into everyday carry; i.e. wallet, keys, gun, and mask.¨
Mental Health Issues
The people who can’t handle change easily may run into more difficulty adjusting to this new normal we seem to be in. In the US, during April and June of 2020, symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably, compared to the same time period in 2019.
From June 24-30 of 2020, adults over 18 years old across the US showed 26.3 percent of people have experienced symptoms of trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic. Around 13.3 percent reported having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to Covid-19 as well. Lastly, in general, 40.9 percent of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition. Some being symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, which 30.9 percent of people had already.
Having to manage others at home
Some people already worked from home have already been used to it. But some aren’t used to other family members being home with them well. Younger kids who constantly want attention can be a distraction and not having a personal workspace could be an issue as well.
Jacqueline Rodriguez who works from home in North Carolina says, ¨I rather work from home due to comfort… Yes, it is challenging working with having the kids home as well. If they need help or lunch I will have to pause my work and help them. It can also be very stressful to have them home all day but makes more family time.¨
Having younger kids also can place an extra burden on parents for having to teach everything to them again after class.
Tommy Singer who works from home with two little kids says, ¨I loved working from home but it could be challenging to help the kids and do my work at the same time.¨ If you have little kids, it could be challenging, but if you have teenagers, it could be a little easier.”
