NAVIGATING ‘ADULTING’ IN QUARANTINE
There is a profound loneliness brought about by the pandemic, where the norm of social distancing is essential in saving lives. The palpable feeling of quiet isolation has affected even the most introverted homebodies
The world was not meant to move and function only through synchronous everything, but since we’ve officially passed the six-month mark of the Luzon-wide quarantine with no end in sight — it’s all we can really do to keep up. As the government fumbles to find concrete solutions to the pandemic, many employees and students have been forced to grapple with the new work from home reality.
There is a profound loneliness brought about by the pandemic, where the norm of social distancing is essential to saving lives. The palpable feeling of quiet isolation has affected even the most introverted homebodies. The truth is, the work from home set-up is unkind to one’s mental health. Hours are spent working on a screen daily, while robotically waiting for the next online meeting. Submit deliverables, edit and discuss. Rinse and repeat.
In practice, the work-life balance is nowhere to be found. This partly has to do with the merging of spaces once reserved specifically for unwinding. Now, one’s place of work is commonly also one’s bedroom and dining room. The latter is inevitable especially when meetings extend into what feels like infinity. These days, going overtime at work seems to be part and parcel of life in the age of COVID-19. It’s hard to mentally log-off now.
Part of me wonders if this fixation on some vague idea of success is but a generational quirk. Are we a generation that measures self-worth in terms of productivity? Or have we grown jaded in the process of becoming part of the workaday world? It’s hard to tell the difference. After all, these are times when productivity is the most-prized commodity of all.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the false belief that, “I’ll be happy when I get x, or once I’ve done y.” This repetitive narrative is as mendacious as it is never-ending. All we want is to get busy. Better and more successful, regardless of the cost. The most frightening realization of all is this: chasing after the token picket fence future causes nothing but burnout.
These days, going overtime at work seems to be part and parcel of life in the age of COVID-19. It’s hard to mentally log-off now.
We’re all yearning for a return to some semblance of normalcy, but most of this is wishful thinking. There’s no dictating how long life will go on this way, particularly in a country where rampant corruption precedes over the needs of the people. But here’s hoping for better days.
If you haven’t done it, please register to vote. Registration is again open to the public, provided that one takes the necessary precautions of wearing a face mask and a face shield. Voting is our ticket to a less bleak future.