Kapur has been missing targets and was recently put on a performance improvement plan, a major setback for someone who had always been among the best.
Still, this hasn’t been enough to snap him out of his current listless state of mind.
“Most of the time I’m thinking, ‘Why bother?
Nearly two and a half years into the Covid-19 pandemic once again witnessing a surge, professionals like Kapur are suffering from ‘pandemic fatigue‘, a consequence of living through a long period of stress with no immediate end in sight.
It’s developing in different ways, let’s say mental health experts, including demotivation, irritation, fatigue, anxiety, panic attacks, pessimism, lack of concentration and depression. They are seeing a 40-100% increase in such cases.
While some organizations provide support, others calling employees back to the office expect them to be at the top of their game.
To compound the problem, they also want employees to go the extra mile after ‘all the time at home’, not realizing that they’re tired, stressed and burned out.
“Pandemic fatigue is affecting professionals in all sectors,” says psychologist Geetanjali Kumar from Delhi.
In a webinar he attended last week, many teachers in attendance asked how they could address students’ social and mental needs as well as trauma and create ‘happy classrooms’ when they themselves were mentally and physically exhausted.
Dr. Pratima Murthy, director of the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), says prolonged uncertainty about the future is creating a sense of loss of control among professionals.
Dr. Jayakumar, associate professor at the Nimhans Center for Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, he says that people feel stressed; focus and concentration have had a big impact and interactions with colleagues are taking a hit. Lifestyle modifications to return to the office are also taking their toll.
“There are readjustment issues and what’s complicating things is that employers are demanding more work in the office after time spent at home,” he says.
Archana Bisht, director of Employee Assistance Program Service provider 1to1help.net says that in the past people set goals and worked to achieve them, but now many simply go along with the motions.
There are those who have lost their loved ones and are thinking: is work important?
the disconnection
There is also a disconnect with colleagues and the organization in general, says Bisht, citing the example of an executive who joined an organization in WFH (work from home) during the virus outbreak: Although the executive spends hours on the phone with his boss, he does not have that personal relationship.
She says, “Everything has become very transactional; relationships aren’t forming. There’s tiredness, fatigue, uncontrolled stress, all related to the pandemic. And if you’re vulnerable to depression, then it’s easy to fall into that.”
A professional in the hospitality sector recently lost his job and blamed it on Covid-19.
The fact is, he hadn’t been able to focus at work for a while, he was disoriented, anxious and underperforming, says Dr. Seema Hingorrany, a Mumbai-based clinical psychologist. “He says that his bad times began in 2020 and until the Covid-19 lasts, he will continue to lose his job. He is now better with therapy,” she says.
Psychologists say it’s crucial to accept that uncertainty is the only certainty and try to look on the bright side.
“People feel like it’s a continuous war zone. Yes, there is a fight, but we have to tap into our inner resources and go that extra mile,” says psychologist Kumar.
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