This week was tough for me. There wasn’t anything particularly difficult about the work that I was assigned this week, but I struggled with being virtual.
During the workday, I was alone inside my house all day. I had the company of my dogs, but other than that, I felt very isolated. The work that I was assigned was almost entirely independent research. I wasn’t interacting with clients, having meetings, or really interacting with anyone. This was very difficult. As a social person, interactions with others make work so much easier and more enjoyable. I felt very stuck this week and found it really difficult to find the motivation to work. I felt like I was being inefficient with time and that made me feel guilty.
These are challenges that everyone has faced at some point during the global pandemic. I had to remind myself to be compassionate with myself as I would with others.
When we had our end of the week team meeting, I took the opportunity to ask to sit in on a meeting and get involved with a few more tasks that would give me more structure and increase my quantity of interactions with others. In addition, I am going to make an effort to get a change of scenery during my workday. This will hopefully improve my virtual experience next week.