The virus. The election. The Supreme Court. The schools. The protocols. The holidays. (And soon – get ready - the weather.) We are tapped out before we even get out of bed in the morning.
As we slide well past six months into the COVID 19 pandemic, anxiety continues to rise. Even though every day seems the same, we have new things that concern us. Even people who previously did not tend to suffer with anxiety have this new sense of uncertainty about what the future will bring which is hard to push aside. Others who have had more of a tendency to overthink and worry are saying, “Finally, you get it! This is what it’s like. This is my daily.”
It’s only natural that the virtual world that occupies much of our time and energy would become a source of anxiety. Six months ago we could not have envisioned this new normal of remote work and school. Quite simply, we are all still adapting to using the virtual world as our primary means to interact with other people.
Socially isolated in our homes, we have had to learn new protocols for large groups like classrooms. We have all had to understand how to maintain conversations when a lag in the Wifi connection can cause us to unintentionally talk over others. The higher the number of people in the conversation, the harder it can be sometimes to find a good time to speak. And not for just the occasional hour. Now it’s hours on end of virtually working, learning and collaborating. With no opportunity to read social cues outside the Zoom window, our minds can get away from us, allowing us to read meaning - that may or may not be accurate – into others’ facial expressions in their Zoom window.
Then there is the embarrassment, bordering on shame at times, when “the real you” is displayed in technicolor for others to see. Whining dogs, demanding cats and disgruntled children are almost a given. But one truly bad moment – such as a lapse in patience, a display of anger, a string of four-letter words -when the microphone or camera is mistakenly left on, can make us feel momentarily ashamed and awkward. And this moment can be enough to get the wheels of anxiety rolling for days to come when it’s time to get back online.
Some of the anxiety we feel when approaching our Zoom day is likely rooted in the sheer monotony of the hours before us. It’s plain exhausting to spend the day rooted to a chair, on screen, at home – particularly knowing that this was not our choice, there’s nothing that exciting awaiting outside the door, and there’s no end in sight.
The expectations present on screen everyday are yet another source of anxiety. In the past, getting connected for the occasional Zoom call may have been a worry. Having the link, the necessary Wifi and some know-how about connecting is now assumed. The bar is higher. The leeway and understanding of personal challenges that we gave each other in the early days of the pandemic are slowing dropping off. We are starting to demand and expect more from each other.
Making the time for a walk or snack break from the screen at regular intervals is becoming essential to good health in the COVID 19 pandemic’s remote work and school culture. Finding ways to connect to other people and share what we are experiencing can also help alleviate some of the distress. There may be pressure to plug away without these allowances, but the screen will be right there waiting -tomorrow.