The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered multiple problems, like economic crises around the globe, social upheavals across all segments of society, political crisis, xenophobia, etc., to name a few. These macro-level crises are affecting individuals in multiple ways from all segments of society, from migrant laborers to business owners to political leaders. Pandemics over decades have changed the world and its ways by multi-folds and the Covid-19 pandemic would be no different.
Since people are affected at a personal level, ‘Work’ done by individuals will be affected by this. People being part of the larger institution/system are active contributors to it. When the larger set of institutions/systems is, undergoing major changes due to change in the new ‘normal’ individuals are bound to be affected by it. The relationship between institutions and individuals leads to a vicious cycle. Major changes in either’s working patterns due to the pandemic will set off a chain of reactions for the other and this will lead to lowered work productivity, personal distress, stress, and anxiety for all, decrease motivation, decreased profits for the institutions and individuals, and goals at all levels will not be met satisfactorily.
The need of the hour is to prevent all this from happening and keeping in mind the ultimate goal of any human civilization i.e. sufficiently happy human survival, the vicious cycle of work setup needs to turn into a virtuous cycle. But for that lets first discuss what exactly encompasses work and how has been affected due to the pandemic. Work in the context of this essay is ranging from work done by professionals, corporate jobholders, academics, students, house-helpers, laborers, household jobs, and every other job that is necessary for the institutions be it public, private, or government to function effectively. The pandemic is affecting the quality of work and efficiency in almost all spheres. The degree of being affected by the pandemic is different for everyone but a common thread to all is the stress, anxiety, and fear caused due to it and more than that, the uncertainty.
The institutions soon are going to come up with new and different ways of working and the setup is going to be deviant from what was considered normal by most people. Incorporating the social distancing norms, more focus on health and well being, measures ensuring hygiene, more individuals working from home, etc. will be a few of the most expected changes that will be incorporated. The response to these changes will vary by different individuals. For some, the new setup could turn out to be fruitful and better than before. Those are privileged with a good home environment secure jobs and overall good mental and physical health. For these people new ways of working could lead to more family time, more time for oneself, increased work productivity, calm and peace. In these cases, the family structure and individuals both can prosper and gain from this and would be adding positive value to the institution and society by their work. This is already a virtuous cycle.
The other side of the coin is where the individuals are part of a setup, which is highly in-conducive and has been made even unhealthier by the pandemic. This is the case for the majority in our country. These people are not privileged enough; they do not have a conducive family environment, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, ones suffering from mental, sexual, or physical abuse, etc. For them working under such circumstances could be precarious. For them working in their environment could lower down their productivity, which could bring even more trouble to them? They are caught in a vicious cycle and now the need to come out of this cycle arises. The need to adapt and be resilient to go about the new ways of working is needed here.
People caught in the degrading cycle need to introspect and evaluate. To go about the new ways of working without stress for them would require them to compartmentalize while working. Also, to attack the root cause of issues and combat issues by addressing the underlying emotions, if incapable of doing so oneself, people should seek out for help. The most important factor is to be aware of the problems and their causes. Ignorance and tolerance would only cause more harm. For work efficiency and better adaptability to the new setup, using techniques that just focus on the improving work aspect would be helpful but will not be sufficient. Techniques such as forming and following routines, setting up and meeting schedules, dividing time, effective communication, being in touch with friends and family, exercising being healthy, etc. would help, but to make a complete shift from the vicious to virtuous cycle attacking the underlying cause of the problem is a must. Resilience and adaptability are key skills that would be required by all to be satisfied in the new work environment.
