“I often give excuses to avoid doing my work,” – The pandemic stress takes a major toll on students

By: Haseena Syazlin

Pandemic stress: A major toll on internship students. | Photo from: Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, 16 JULY 2021 – Students graduating this year have had a strange time in the pandemic, trading their classroom for a computer screen, and now they face a life full of uncertainty.

After more than a year of fighting the virus, our country is forced to go into a third lockdown due to the surge of positive cases. The “total lockdown,” or the first phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) Movement Control Order (MCO), forced essential businesses to close their doors and begin working from home.

Working from home for a long period of time has been said to cause mental distress. This is because the isolation of remote work, combined with the emotional pressure induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, may result in a new workplace mental health crisis.

“Everything is now shattered”

Ellysha Zuraimi, 24, an intern at Selangor Youth Community (SAY), shared her current work-from-home experiences.

“After three dreadful semesters of online classes, I was ecstatic to finally finish all my courses and begin my internship. I was so excited to start working in the office! But, of course, everything is now shattered,” she shared.

Ellysha expressed her gratitude for having the opportunity to work in the office for a month because the guidance and hands-on experience has enabled her to enjoy her job. However, she believes that working from home has been ineffective for her and has increased her stress levels.

You are expected to be online 24/7

“I used to be able to live my life and watch K-dramas after work to relax. After 6 p.m., I don't have to think about work. This is something I've been missing a lot lately. We are expected to be available at all times because we work from home. My phone is constantly bombarded with new tasks after midnight. 2 a.m.? 3 a.m.? It does not matter. It is exhausting to think about work for 24 hours. Regardless of how much I enjoy my job, I also have a life to live. To avoid becoming burned out, I need to take some time for myself. That kind of luxury is no longer available to me,” said Ellysha.

When you work from home, you're less likely to be motivated.

Puteri Hanum, 24, an intern at UiTM Shah Alam's Institute of Quality & Knowledge Advancement (InQKA), stated that she lacks motivation to complete her tasks at home because the environment is quiet and she feels lonely.

“I enjoy my alone time, but it can be difficult when it becomes a part of your work. I enjoyed working at the office because the atmosphere was pleasant and I could always talk to the person next to me if I was stressed. Now, however, everything is gone. Because I am unmotivated, I waste a lot of time just to complete a simple task,” she said.

To no surprise, Ellysha also described how she frequently feels unmotivated and no longer enjoys the things she used to enjoy.

“I used to be so excited to receive new tasks. That is exactly how much I love my job, but now I frequently find ways and excuses to procrastinate and avoid doing my work. Just thinking about work makes me anxious. Even when I don't have anything to do, I could get tired just by thinking about my pending tasks,” she said.

“I don’t even feel like socializing anymore.”

Hanum also revealed that she has stopped socializing, even with her friends, since the lockdown began.

“I've always been a chatty person, but working from home and being on lockdown has taken its toll on me. I'm just not in the mood to talk to anyone, and socializing exhausts me. It’s just me and my laptop. Nothing, and no one else,” she shared.

Ellysha, on the other hand, stated that she tries to help with the house chores, but that she is sometimes so overloaded with work that she spends the entire day in front of her computer. Her family, however, sees it as a problem and believes she simply does not want to help them.

“I'm not going to self-diagnose, but I do feel like my life is miserable right now and that my mental health is in horrible condition. Since the lockdown, I've been living with my parents, and I've always had the added responsibility of doing the housework as a daughter. My family would think I am avoiding the chores if I spent the entire day in front of the screen, attempting to complete my tasks. It's hard. Even after I explain, they still don't get it.”

The COVID-19 virus has infected over 745,703 Malaysians to date, killing 5,108 people. As it can spread via airborne transmission, the new variant of the virus is aggressive and a scary enemy to us. However, it is now very evident that the virus is not the only thing that is killing the society. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay well.