汉娜是一名从事市场营销和公关的自由职业者,平时在家工作,一周开几次会,之前,她还有机会见到其他人,但现在,赶上新冠病毒大流行,客户预算变得不稳定,网络会议推迟,工作也突然变成了纯靠邮件交流。
“我们可能习惯了在家独自办公,但现在完全不是一个层面,”她说。“我在Zoom聚会上遇到的一个朋友说,现在是非正常营业时期。我认为对许多人来说,最糟糕的一点就是,我们不知道这样还要持续多久。”
做文案工作的丽贝卡就发现,自由职业者跟有固定工作的人有着天然区别。最近她丈夫在家工作,每天都开云会议,网上聊天也很活跃,“我亲眼看到办公室同事团结友爱,这让我越发意识到,自由职业者无法体验如此亲密的同事关系。”
“社会关系可以增进身心健康,”环境心理学家李•钱伯斯说。她说,尽管自由职业者在家可能也有家人或伴侣,但由于缺乏公司办公氛围,也不用每天出门,但天天关在本应放松的地方,会导致这些人感觉很难向别人倾诉焦虑,从而影响幸福感和心理健康。
“如果不重视这个问题,”钱伯斯说,“孤独的问题会越来越难解决”,进一步导致压力、焦虑和抑郁。那么,该怎么办呢?
多跟朋友联系
现在这个时候去找朋友,听上去不太合理,因为大家都见不到真人,但是,这的确是发展和重新巩固友谊的好机会。“现在是重视社交关系,将社交与工作结合的好机会,”钱伯斯说。
事实上,很可能你所有的朋友,和团队里共事的同事,都在努力适应新常态。他们肯定怀念有朋友在身边。“给亲密朋友打个电话,”他建议。“有意识地去联络他们,像开会约定通话,跟他们谈谈各自感受,问问看能不能帮上忙。”
跟其他自由职业者合作
你可以参加在线会议群组,也可以找同样从事自由职业的伙伴,隔天交流下工作情况,只要你跟其他自由职业者多联系,都能形成类似一个“团队”的氛围。
钱伯斯建议,疫情期间,努力工作的同时,也要注意彼此的陪伴,在工作和心理健康方面积极交流。就像丽贝卡观察到她丈夫跟其他同事交流一样,只要想办法,你也能营造出类似的团队环境。
制定时间表
宅家时,不要偷懒,一定要制定当日计划,和朋友聊天也要放到日程里!这可能意味着,你一早起来,铺好床后,再做其他事情,也可能意味着你一早就列出当天的任务,也可能意味着你每天中午定时关掉电脑,小憩一会,不管是哪项,做好计划都很重要。
而且,虽然窝在被窝里工作很诱人(而且谁知道你是在床上工作呢,对吧?),别这么做。钱伯斯建议,每天换好衣服再上班,就跟要去公共办公空间一样,而且也要安排好工作间歇。
定好下班时间
正常情况下,自由职业者不用打卡下班,所以总是会忘了几点钟要结束工作。现在,既然无处可去,几乎全天都离不开电脑,那可以为晚上制定些值得期待的计划。“可以做点好吃的,追部喜欢的电视剧,或者哄孩子上床,读个睡前故事,”钱伯斯说,“别忘了,亲人一直陪伴在身边,要多跟他们沟通。”
想办法帮助别人
现在人人都在疫情中挣扎,所以伸出援助之手,不仅可以帮助到别人,也可以多跟他人建立联系。你也许可以给上了年纪的邻居送一些食品杂货,也可以给认识的自由职业者打个电话,问问最近是不是还好。
现在是人与人尽量少接触的特殊时期,因此,拿起电话,跟人开会、约谈,或仅仅只是询问别人近况如何,这比任何时候都更重要。如果你还有额外的一些技能的话,你还可以拿这些技能去做些好事。“别忘了,不管你有什么情绪,这都是正常的,这是一种集体经历,别人也会有同样的情绪。”钱伯斯说。
别怕求助
与此同时,为了度过这段孤单的特殊时期,该求助时别犹豫。“这段时间里,我们需要人类团结起来,一起共同应对挑战,这个时期的人们都会更乐于助人,对他人的需求也更有同情心,”钱伯斯说。疫情中,谁也不是孤岛,只要需要,可以随时打电话求助,就算不是朋友也可以。
特殊时期,也可以寻求各种专业机构或其它地方民间、政府组织的热线帮助。别怕求助,寻求专业咨询并不等于承认自己情况已经很糟糕,但专业咨询师可以识别一些危险的信号,帮助梳理来访者情绪,评估创伤状况,也可以提供一些有用的知识和资源。(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
责编:雨晨
汉娜是一名从事市场营销和公关的自由职业者,平时在家工作,一周开几次会,之前,她还有机会见到其他人,但现在,赶上新冠病毒大流行,客户预算变得不稳定,网络会议推迟,工作也突然变成了纯靠邮件交流。
“我们可能习惯了在家独自办公,但现在完全不是一个层面,”她说。“我在Zoom聚会上遇到的一个朋友说,现在是非正常营业时期。我认为对许多人来说,最糟糕的一点就是,我们不知道这样还要持续多久。”
做文案工作的丽贝卡就发现,自由职业者跟有固定工作的人有着天然区别。最近她丈夫在家工作,每天都开云会议,网上聊天也很活跃,“我亲眼看到办公室同事团结友爱,这让我越发意识到,自由职业者无法体验如此亲密的同事关系。”
“社会关系可以增进身心健康,”环境心理学家李•钱伯斯说。她说,尽管自由职业者在家可能也有家人或伴侣,但由于缺乏公司办公氛围,也不用每天出门,但天天关在本应放松的地方,会导致这些人感觉很难向别人倾诉焦虑,从而影响幸福感和心理健康。
“如果不重视这个问题,”钱伯斯说,“孤独的问题会越来越难解决”,进一步导致压力、焦虑和抑郁。那么,该怎么办呢?
多跟朋友联系
现在这个时候去找朋友,听上去不太合理,因为大家都见不到真人,但是,这的确是发展和重新巩固友谊的好机会。“现在是重视社交关系,将社交与工作结合的好机会,”钱伯斯说。
事实上,很可能你所有的朋友,和团队里共事的同事,都在努力适应新常态。他们肯定怀念有朋友在身边。“给亲密朋友打个电话,”他建议。“有意识地去联络他们,像开会约定通话,跟他们谈谈各自感受,问问看能不能帮上忙。”
跟其他自由职业者合作
你可以参加在线会议群组,也可以找同样从事自由职业的伙伴,隔天交流下工作情况,只要你跟其他自由职业者多联系,都能形成类似一个“团队”的氛围。
钱伯斯建议,疫情期间,努力工作的同时,也要注意彼此的陪伴,在工作和心理健康方面积极交流。就像丽贝卡观察到她丈夫跟其他同事交流一样,只要想办法,你也能营造出类似的团队环境。
制定时间表
宅家时,不要偷懒,一定要制定当日计划,和朋友聊天也要放到日程里!这可能意味着,你一早起来,铺好床后,再做其他事情,也可能意味着你一早就列出当天的任务,也可能意味着你每天中午定时关掉电脑,小憩一会,不管是哪项,做好计划都很重要。
而且,虽然窝在被窝里工作很诱人(而且谁知道你是在床上工作呢,对吧?),别这么做。钱伯斯建议,每天换好衣服再上班,就跟要去公共办公空间一样,而且也要安排好工作间歇。
定好下班时间
正常情况下,自由职业者不用打卡下班,所以总是会忘了几点钟要结束工作。现在,既然无处可去,几乎全天都离不开电脑,那可以为晚上制定些值得期待的计划。“可以做点好吃的,追部喜欢的电视剧,或者哄孩子上床,读个睡前故事,”钱伯斯说,“别忘了,亲人一直陪伴在身边,要多跟他们沟通。”
想办法帮助别人
现在人人都在疫情中挣扎,所以伸出援助之手,不仅可以帮助到别人,也可以多跟他人建立联系。你也许可以给上了年纪的邻居送一些食品杂货,也可以给认识的自由职业者打个电话,问问最近是不是还好。
现在是人与人尽量少接触的特殊时期,因此,拿起电话,跟人开会、约谈,或仅仅只是询问别人近况如何,这比任何时候都更重要。如果你还有额外的一些技能的话,你还可以拿这些技能去做些好事。“别忘了,不管你有什么情绪,这都是正常的,这是一种集体经历,别人也会有同样的情绪。”钱伯斯说。
别怕求助
与此同时,为了度过这段孤单的特殊时期,该求助时别犹豫。“这段时间里,我们需要人类团结起来,一起共同应对挑战,这个时期的人们都会更乐于助人,对他人的需求也更有同情心,”钱伯斯说。疫情中,谁也不是孤岛,只要需要,可以随时打电话求助,就算不是朋友也可以。
特殊时期,也可以寻求各种专业机构或其它地方民间、政府组织的热线帮助。别怕求助,寻求专业咨询并不等于承认自己情况已经很糟糕,但专业咨询师可以识别一些危险的信号,帮助梳理来访者情绪,评估创伤状况,也可以提供一些有用的知识和资源。(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
责编:雨晨
Hannah, a freelance marketer and publicist, usually works from home but has a couple meetings a week. That is, she used to have them. Now, with her clients’ budgets uncertain in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, even Zoom meetings are being postponed, and her work has suddenly moved solely to email interactions.
“We may be used to working from home and working alone, but this is on another level,” she says. “As someone I met on a Zoom networking event said, it’s business unusual. I think for many people the uncertainty of how long this will continue is the worst bit.”
Rebecca, a copywriter, has noticed the natural comparison between the self-employed and people with regular jobs. Her husband, now working from home, has a daily meeting with his team via Zoom and a pretty active WhatsApp chat going on. “Seeing the adapted office camaraderie firsthand has highlighted the fact that us freelancers don’t have that level of colleague connection.”
“Social connection boosts both our physical health and our mental health,” says Lee Chambers, an environmental psychologist. Although self-employed workers can have their families or partners at home, the lack of a corporate framework, plus the inability to spend periods of time outdoors and being on lockdown in a place designed for relaxation, “can leave these workers feeling like they have no one to express these anxieties to,” she says, affecting their well-being and mental health.
“If we don’t make a concerted effort to address this,” Chambers says, “it will become increasingly difficult to cope” with isolation, which in turn can cause stress, anxiety, and depression. So what to do?
Reach out to your friends
While it may seem counterintuitive since you can’t physically see them, this can be a great opportunity to grow and reinvest in your friendships. “Now is the perfect time to make your social connection a priority and build it into your working life,” says Chambers. Odds are all your friends, even those working in a team, are struggling to adjust to this new dynamic. They certainly miss having friends around. “Schedule a call with your close friends,” he suggests. “Be intentional with it, and book it in like a meeting. Talk to them about how they are feeling, and ask if there is anything you can do to help.”
Collaborate with other freelancers
Whether you join a Zoom group or find a freelance buddy to check in with every other day on how you’re doing, connecting with other freelancers can provide you a “team” of sorts. Chambers suggests keeping each other company while working on your goals and bouncing ideas off each other for work and your mental health during this time. Just as Rebecca sees her husband connecting with workers, it’s possible to create this environment with others.
Make sure you have a schedule
As hard as it is when you are stuck at home, outline what you’re going to do each day—and which friend you’re chatting with! Whether that means making your bed before you do anything else, outlining your tasks for the day, or taking a lunch break without your laptop before you, planning is important. Also, while it’s tempting to work from bed (who’s going to know, right?), don’t do it. Chambers advises getting dressed for work as if you were still going to a coworking space and incorporating working breaks into your day.
Define the end of your workday
Under normal circumstances, self-employed workers find it hard enough to end the day without someone telling them to sign off. Now, with literally nowhere to go, it feels almost impossible to walk away from the computer for the day. So Chambers suggests creating plans for the evening you can look forward to. “Maybe you can cook and create something delicious, make time to watch something from your favorite series, or put the kids to bed and read them a story,” he says. “Don’t forget to connect with the loved ones right there with you for the journey.”
Find a way to help others
Collectively we’re all struggling right now, so lending a helping hand (figuratively!) can help you connect with and help others. As Chambers says, “Maybe you can spare some groceries for your elderly neighbor. How about calling another freelancer you know and seeing if they are okay?” In this time of minimal communication, it’s more important than ever to pick up the phone and conduct meetings, interviews, or regular checkup calls. You can also offer a skill of yours for free for a good cause. “Don’t forget that whatever you are feeling, you are not alone, it’s part of a shared human experience many others will be feeling,” says Chambers.
Don’t be scared to ask for help
At the same time, don’t hesitate to ask for help yourself to get through this period of isolation. “During this time, when we are all coming together as a species to fight against a bigger challenge, we all become more helpful and compassionate toward others’ needs,” says Chambers. No one is alone in this, and you can always call someone other than your friends if you need to.