Dealing with Lockdown
I wrote this as a blog post for work back in July 2020. I wanted to post it here as I pen together a reflection on this. What has changed to how I saw things then. I’ll post this next piece soon.
It seems apt that in a period of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that I write about WFH. However, I wanted to write more about my personal experience. It may be something you relate to when reading this, or something you don’t. Either way, I thought I’d share how lockdown has affected me and finding the fine work-life balance we all dearly crave.
Working from home isn’t something new to me personally. Being in recruitment we’ve always been seen as a function that should be visible to the business, and rightly so, although the line between visibility and productivity can be blurred. In my previous role prior to joining BJSS, I was fortunate to WFH 2 days a week. This was mainly due to the 4.5–5 hour daily commute however, it was something I never moaned about once to my wife even when it took much longer due to the train services we’re so lucky to have (it was agreed I wasn’t allowed to moan about the commute when I took that job 😉). What it enabled me to do was begin to find out what worked and what didn’t work for me.
For example, I’d work much longer days because I had the feeling that by doing that, I was showcasing my value to the business. Over time I learned that value was in the productivity and outcome as opposed to hours I’m showing as online. I’d worry about putting a load of washing on in case someone messaged me during that time and they’d think I was skiving. I also learned quickly that working from your sofa will give you a bad lower back, so buying a chair with proper support is definitely a good idea. My manager at the time did make it known I should take regular breaks which gave me the assurance I needed at the time to go for a walk at lunchtime, or even just take a lunch break in a different room for a change of scenery.
I must admit though, I do still struggle working a normal day at home and the personal challenges that come with that. Whether that’s due to workloads, or meetings it can vary. But learning to say no to meetings I still find difficult. I can find myself on them from 8 in the morning and still on them come 6 in the evening. Working in recruitment you also have the balance of speaking to candidates when they’re available. We don’t want to pass up on speaking to awesome people to join us, which can mean if they struggle to speak during working hours, taking calls at 7:30 in the morning or 7 at night. I’ll admit I try to avoid this where possible, but when needs must, we do it. Learning when to say no to things and what to prioritise is something I’ll always battle with as someone who wants to the best they can and try to keep everyone I’m dealing with happy. But it isn’t healthy so striking that balance is key and I do exercise more self discipline than I used too.
It’s also been a difficult time on a personal level, particularly when lockdown was first implemented and restrictions were tougher with minimal exposure to the outside world. I work in recruitment for two reasons (what other job can you get at 21 with no qualifications and only bar experience, and I like to think I’m a sociable person and like speaking to people). But I do find that when I’ve been speaking to people all day, I become more introverted on an evening as I just crave the peace and quiet. During lockdown this has meant I’ve not wanted to be on Zoom calls or phone calls all evening with friends and family as I’ve been doing that all day and it can be tiring. I keep reminding myself that some of those people I speak to have the opposite days to me, so they will find value in it which results in my drive to fight the urge to binge watch box sets in silence all evening.
Lockdown has also had challenges outside of work and for my friends and family; as well as trying to buy a house, my best friend who struggles with depression lost his father and not being able to go see him and give him a hug was difficult, and all I could do was video call him and keep in touch. My mum also got diagnosed with breast cancer (it’s okay, she’s fine now and coming out the other side) but not being able to go see them when they’re only an hour away was very difficult. Moments like these where you want to be there with someone in person to give that support have been the most difficult things I’ve had to deal with.
I’ve always been a very empathetic person, but I’m not one for talking about my feelings (just ask my wife) so writing this is my way to share my experience I wouldn’t normally talk about. But I’ve found great support from those few people I have talked to about these personal challenges I’ve faced.
None of us expected the pandemic we’ve faced, but what I’ve seen from colleagues across the business is the amazing ability to adapt to the situation, and the support we all give each other. You should never feel alone. If you do need some support whether work related or personal turn to your Squad Lead, Line Manager or Delivery Manager, or someone! The support is out there however much you need.
It is sometimes the little things we do that help us through those tougher days, like saying hello to someone you don’t always get to see, or interacting on channels such as #goodvibetribe. But I count myself lucky to work at an organisation that is so supportive and encourages the work life balance we all need, more so during a time when we all WFH and can’t see each other in person.
To sign off, I can’t wait to see all your faces in the office (and possibly pub 😉) once some form of normal returns and it’s safe to do so.
