Teleworking During a Pandemic
Introvert at Work
“I don’t care if I never see another human being!” Okay, that may be the Drama Queen erupting in me, but there is some truth in this statement. As a card-carrying introvert, I can’t say that I have suffered since COVID-19 sent me home to work. Even when I was going into the office, I treasured the small, windowless space that I could call my own. There had been a time when the organization I worked for did not provide me with a dedicated office. I was a “rover” – using the offices of others on the days when their schedules took them elsewhere. I had a complicated calendar, moving between three offices during the course of a week, sometimes splitting between two offices in a single day. I never felt “at home” and I wondered if my clients could tell that we were using borrowed spaces. If they could tell, how did they interpret it? Was I seen as being less competent because I didn’t have my own office? Did they devalue themselves because they were assigned to someone who didn’t even merit her own office? Those questions are grist for another blog mill. However, that was the history I brought with me to that last, small pre-COVID office. Even though it was the smallest I’d occupied in over three decades of professional practice, it was probably the most appreciated because I’d worked as a rover for nearly a year. That fact, along with my self-contained personality style contributed to my spending most of the time in my office with the door closed. Even when I didn’t have a client with me, I didn’t feel a need to keep the door open in order to be privy to all of the happenings with my colleagues. On those occasions when I did open the door to facilitate air circulation, I braced myself for the appearance of a particular co-worker (No, not you. Her.) who always wanted to stop in for an extended conversation about things that were not only unrelated to work, but were too personal to discuss with someone who wasn’t even a “work friend.” To be sure, some of the fault lies with me. Even though I am introverted, I’m pretty friendly, and I have a genuine interest in the lives of other people. So, if you were to run into me in the hallway or breakroom, you would likely find me to be warm and engaging. You might also come away from the encounter thinking that were it not for the incredible work ethic that keeps me grinding away behind a closed door, you would enjoy getting to know me better (the intersection of introversion and narcissism). Then came COVID.
Enter COVID
In early 2020, the novel coronavirus flexed its muscles and quickly enveloped the globe in a veil of infection, sickness, death and fear. By mid – March, my employer, like so many others, had sent me and my colleagues home to work. Initially, I was not thrilled at the prospect. I have a great respect for boundaries, including that between work and home. Let’s just say that it didn’t take long for me to be won over, bringing us back to my opening statement – “I don’t care if I never see another human being.” First of all, I am grateful for the very fact that I have employment at a time when many do not. Furthermore, my work is such that it can be conducted from home. I am privileged to have a house that accommodated the conversion of a spare bedroom into an office, and I can afford internet service and more devices and IT bells and whistles than I could dream of. I also have no minor children whose care and schooling I am responsible for. Management has been more than supportive in helping with the transition to telework. And, the transition was facilitated by the fact that I’ve been engaged in the delivery of telemental health services in some capacity for the past eight years. Working from home has been a good fit for me, and for those with similar dispositions and circumstances. For countless others, the same is not true.
Social isolation has taken a toll on millions of people over the course of the past several months. NPR has reported (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/04/885546281/why-some-young-people-fear-social-isolation-more-than-covid-19) that socialization for young adults is a “need” and is “critical for development” rather than being a luxury. An article in The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/coronavirus-isolation-social-recession-physical-mental-health) highlights a number of ways in which social isolation negatively impacts physical and mental well-being. And, yes, even us introverts need a certain degree of social interaction in order to maintain healthy living. Prior to COVID, many of the needs for socialization were satisfied in the workplace. Consider the friendships that you may have developed over the years that began in a work group, in the cafeteria, or even as a chance meeting in the restroom. While I came of age in an era where office romances were generally frowned upon (“Don’t tap your honey where you make your money”), we all know a tale or two of happy couples that had their starts in the workplace.
In addition to being a location for positive social engagement, the workplace has, for some, served as a respite from less than comfortable, even violent personal lives. The increased incidence of domestic violence since COVID related quarantining has begun has been widely reported (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/lessons-never-learned-how-covid-19-affects-domestic-violence-rates). In the pre-COVID world, having a task to focus on in a setting apart from the home, and in interaction with others provided the only safe space available for many of those in dangerous or otherwise difficult circumstances. Oftentimes, people experiencing stress in their private lives will have a decline in their occupational functioning due to anxiety, depression, or impaired concentration. However, there are others who respond to such stressors by immersing themselves in their work, sometimes resulting in increased creativity and productivity; more often serving as a welcome distraction, or a place where they have agency or impact. With the boundary between work life and home life blurred, there are fewer opportunities for temporary well-being and relief.
Tips for Managing
So, you are no longer able to interact with co-workers in the collaborative and supportive realm of a physical workspace. How do you fill the void in a manner that satisfies your sense of well-being and does not compromise your health?
- Discuss options with your employer – If virtual meetings aren’t doing it for you anymore, discuss alternatives with your employer. Safe options may be available for team meetings that include everyone – those desiring face-to-face encounters, as well as, those who prefer virtual interactions. For example, consider socially distanced outdoor team meetings with all participants using devices that allow the inclusion of those who prefer to participate virtually.
- Look elsewhere for satisfying social interactions – This may be a good time to expand your interpersonal horizons beyond the workplace. While it may not be possible to adapt your work environment, you may find that you’re able to schedule safe interactions with small groups of friends and/or family members. A bubble seems to have worked well for the NBA this season. Perhaps a social bubble or pod is an option for you. Identify a small group of trusted people and set your parameters (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_form_a_pandemic_pod).
- Conduct assessments of self, family, and home – If you’re missing going into work because of discomfort or dissatisfaction at home, this is the time to examine the quality of your personal, family, and home lives. The problem may be that the physical environment is not as pleasing as you would like. Simple updates such as a fresh coat of paint or, the addition of a few houseplants may brighten things up a bit. Other problems are not so easily remedied. Are you lonely? Is there conflict with your spouse or partner? Are there problems within the home that you’re no longer able to avoid by going out to work every day? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, consider addressing the issues at the core of your unhappiness and stress. Seek support and wise counsel. Licensed professional mental health providers – psychologists, counselors, therapists – are trained in the management of a wide range of mental, emotional, and relationship problems. Your primary care provider will be able to help you with a referral.
- Needs of introverts – Just because you thrive when distanced from others, don’t think that you’re exempt from occupational problems associated with the isolation of telework. Most organizations have plans in place for resuming face-to-face operations. Eventually, the pandemic will be controlled. While some workers will have the option to continue working from home, most will return to office environments, at least on a part-time basis. The re-introduction of interpersonal interactions into daily work life may prove to be a shock to the system of those who have functioned within their comfort zone of relative isolation for many months. Ease the transition by gradually increasing interactions with others. Be fully present by avoiding “cloaking” techniques. That is, turn on both audio and video functions when using video conference platforms. Begin answering phone calls from numbers that you don’t recognize. Doing so will help desensitize you to interacting with persons you don’t know. Finally, consider the creation of a work or social pod or bubble as described above.
Last Words
Who knows when the threat posed by COVID-19 will be sufficiently reigned in to allow for “normal” work operations to resume? I certainly don’t. However, I do know that the virus has changed the workplace in such a way that the face-to-face interactions of many have been replaced by virtual encounters. For folks like me, that’s not been a bad thing. For others, the resulting isolation has been punishing. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, you are advised to do a self-assessment of the impact of isolation in the workplace on your sense of well-being and on your occupational functioning. Be open to making the changes necessary to adapt in a manner that is healthy for you and that enhances your work life. And, know that the two are not mutually exclusive.
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