Living in Pandemic: If we’re all at home, why are we more prone to burnouts?
This blog was about to rot in my drafts folder if it weren’t for my outburst yesterday. I’m currently working inside a coffee shop (safely, with a mask), drinking my Kombucha and eating a slice of cheesecake. I already consider these my solitary hours.
The scenario before the storm? My boyfriend was talking to me on videocall, macho kid was telling me to look at this new video he’s watching on Youtube, mom is calling me from the living room asking for help, then getting a bunch of work requests from my clients.
I blew up.
And take note, this isn’t just one occurrence. In a span of almost a year, we probably experienced several burnouts this 2020. Thanks to my medications and regular on-line visits to my psychiatrist, my blowouts aren’t as violent and damaging as previous ones. No one got hurt. Nothing got destroyed.
But why?
I had always been working from home since 2020. Juggling it with real work and my celebrity life (just kidding!)
What’s different this year?
I probably knew the answer myself inside. But I wanted to learn what others think and feel too. So I asked my friends on Facebook why we’re more prone to burnouts this year. Here’s what they have to say.
If we’re all at home, why are we more prone to burnouts?
Olay says: The designated work and home areas are practically gone and they keep overlapping.
Dems Angeles says: We cannot separate our day-to-day life and work, no matter how we try to adapt. The restrictions keep us physically safe but our emotional and psychological being suffers. The mere thought of any possibility of getting infected consciously or unconsciously lingers on our minds, on top of our existing concerns (finances, unrealistic work expectations, homeschooling, natural calamities, etc.)
Sam and Jazz say: There are no boundaries anymore. There’s no more distinction between work and leisure hours anymore.
Dale says: SSDD – same shit, different day.
BI EY says: We lost our safety net. Everyday we have our workplace, and we know we have our safe space at home. We lost it when the 2 overlapped
Eric says: My commute time (~ 2 hrs) is usually quiet time for myself and time to distress. It’s now gone.
Kira says: So hard to do housework/maintain a household plus do actual work and maintain a business. Too many distractions and too many things to do. Not to mention the anxiety of the pandemic, you’re just hyper-aware all the time and it’s exhausting.
The Real Score: Bye Boundaries
By an almost unanimous decision. We’re all experiencing burnout because our usual boundaries are now gone. It’s like eating a whole pizza without any slices. Chaotic. It’s a struggle, but somehow everyone is still managing to thrive There are good days, there are worst. When all of this is over and done, we can all ourselves, survivors.
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7 Comments
rhisa cajegas
yes thanks for sharing mommy? halos lahat pagod sa work. madami pa iniisip.
Jenny Labutap
Yes true talagang mas nastress po tayo ngayong taon kahit nasa bahay lang po dahil nagkasabay sabay po ang problema lalo na po noong unang buwan ng lockdown and nalimitahan po tayo sa mga galaw natin di tulad dati nakakalungkot po talaga. Minsan po hindi kona din po alam ang gagawin ko dahil sa dami ng gawain and hindi din po ako makapag focus. Super relate po ako dito sa blog nyo. Hoping next month maging okay na ang lahat?
Melissa
I super agree momsh. I’m actually having a burnout these past few days due to different stressors. Haist. But I know at the end of the day we’ll make it.
Kristine Quipit
I thought nung una magiging madali satin lahat kasi nga asa bahay na magtatrabaho o kaya mag-aaral but I realized na mas mahirap pala, mas ok pa magtrabaho sa office kesa sa bahay, mas ok pang sa school kesa sa bahay. Kasi pag nasa office mismo o kaya sa school mas makakapag focus talaga because of the environment. And alam mo kung ano lang yung gagawin mo pag sa bahay kasi gulo gulo na eh lalo na’t pag makalat.
Virgenia Velasco
Sobrang nakaka stressed po talaga ngayon lalo na nsa bahay Lang palagi.Dagdagan pa ng madaming modules at mga pasaway na bta minsan..Tapos andyan pa si covid,sobrang krisis pa ng panahon ngayon.Nakakaloka na minsan ang daming adjustments.
Virgenia Velasco
Sobrang nakaka stressed ang taong to.Daming di magandang nangyari isa na si covid.Daming changes and adjustments lalo na sa trabaho at pag aaral.Sobrang krisis nadin sa panahong to.Nakakaloka na nga minsan..Pati mga bata na stressed nadin dahil sa online class at mga modules.
Virgenia Velasco
Sobrang nakaka stressed po ang taong to.Daming Hindi magagandang nangyari at isa na si covid.Daming changes and adjustments ngayon.Pati mga bata stressed narin sa online class at mga modules.Dagdag pa na sobrang krisis na ngayon dahil sa dinaranas ng ating bansang pandemic.Nakakaloka narin minsan.