Juggling Work and Family Life During the Pandemic

It is not clear what kind of “new normal” will emerge or when we will see the end of Covid-19, but we do know that every institution will be impacted by this epidemic—especially the relationship between work and family life.

While the data on this pandemic is still being collected and analyzed, there is little doubt about the mental and behavioral outcomes of natural and human-made disasters, as is reported in medical and mental health journals. According to data from those journals, a suspension of usual day-to-day practices, social isolation and social distancing can result in widespread increases in anxiety and depression, substance abuse, loneliness, domestic violence, child abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We also know, as the experts maintain, that early intervention and support are critical for a safe and healthy “new” normal.

When your world is turned upside down both professionally and personally

A crisis of this magnitude can disrupt every aspect of your daily life, from the ways in which you and your spouse are expected to do your jobs, to the timing of the work week within the household, and the ways in which children are schooled and cared for. As of yet, there are few norms to guide you.

For many working wives and mothers, much of their ability to balance work and life was dependent on a multitude of services brought into the home, and on help from their partners in domestic and childcare activities. When the division of labor in families is profoundly shaken and social isolation takes place, families are left to put it back together on their own.

Additionally, when the social services necessary to accommodate dual-career families break down, when a job requires learning new skills to adapt to remote work, and when those in corporate structures find hours added to their workday, the flexibility needed to care for children, shop, cook and clean is all but gone.

As recent studies tell us, we know that irrespective of their work status, the major share of childcare, falls primarily on women, who have taken on an additional homeschooling role during the pandemic. Online schooling requires a great deal of oversight.  For instance, when young children are given an assignment worth three hours of curriculum, it can take a full day to complete, especially if the child is not proficient at the keypad or the technology needed to complete the assignment.

While balancing work and family has always been challenging, doing so without our usual supports and without any guidelines is even more so. The uncertainty about the future, if we will have jobs and what they will look like, and the possible long-term effects on ourselves, our spouses, our children, our communities, and our country are overwhelming.

Resources to help you get through this

Connect with social support: Now is the time to turn to each other. Support can take the form of tangible tasks, like taking turns with a friend or neighbor supervising childrens’ remote learning—within health and safety guidelines. Support can also be emotional, such as simply sharing highs and lows with a trusted friend.

Take care of your emotional health: Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to your family’s needs. If stress gets in the way of your daily activities, connect with a licensed therapist. Therapists can help you navigate the ups and downs of quarantine, suggest strategies for managing it all, and provide an hour of space each week just for you.

The Talk Suite is a full-service psychotherapy practice in NYC. Our clinicians have training in a wide range of specialties, including stress management, work-life balance, partner communication skills, marriage counseling, and parenting skills. Sessions are held in our Chelsea office, or via Zoom/teletherapy. To learn more, schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation, or contact us directly at explore@thetalksuite.com.