One Reason People are not returning to work post Covid

So many things have been a surprise about and during Covid. The surge in Real Estate for one, the reduction in workforce, and the lack of a desire to return.

I guess the world really doesn't need one more article based on either speculation or polling, but I thought I could offer one reason as I have observed in my clients pre and post Covid.  In a word its burnout, or job dissatisfaction.

During the imposed lockdown, people got into new habits, had time to reflect, and saw that life could be about more than just work.  I have traveled to quite a few countries and I thing Americans have by and large the longest work days / work weeks and the poorest work/life balance.  The Puritan work ethic still haunts us, despite being a county largely now made up of non Puritan immigrants.  Further the tools we have created and rely upon; the cellphone, the laptop, email, text means that instead of helping us being more productive, they have shackled us to a 24/7 work week expectation.  Maybe you know someone who send you a work email at 2 am, on a Saturday. Maybe you are that person, or the one who actually responds. People can't turn it off.  I see it every day in my practice.  People suffering from burnout or that have no work/life balance. 

I myself suffer and resist this every day. Because it is in my nature to work hard, I often feel guilty when I am not working but the truth is I do it anyway, I purposefully leave my phone behind for stretches, take retreat trips and just turn it all off.  It is important to compartmentalize.....and make time for everything.  At the top of that list should be make time for yourself. And that includes massage.  Massage may not be for every person, but chances are if you are here, and reading this, you enjoy massage and its benefits on the mind as well as the body.  This is what I do.  I don't really do Deep Tissue (spoiler: it's not a thing), I am pretty forgetful when it comes to anatomical names....but what I do offer is profound relaxation, a sense of overall well being and a holistic approach to restoring some balance to my clients. 

Whether people can afford to stay home or re adjust their lives is not something for this article. Whether they can I don't know.  One thing about the Pandemic is that is was the Great Unequalizer of our time.  If you were struggling before, chances are you are still struggling and possibly worse.  If you were invested, or had a middle class salary, the Pandemic has possibly left you a bit flush. Just Google how much wealth was created since March 2020 for JUST the richest 3 Americans.

What I do know is regardless of whether they want to, people crave more, and may insist on it in the future: More time off, more benefits, more rewarding tasks.

Getting back to massage and self care - this is what I will say. Over and over and over again. Get a massage, then book another, and another.  IT IS NOT A LUXURY, it is a necessity. A $6,000 stove is a luxury, not a necessity and plenty of people feel they can live without one. Investing that money in yourself could provide monthly bodywork for 5 years!

There are so many reasons to seek out bodywork. One of the most common, and saddest is when client's tell me it's the only hour they have that is undisturbed.

Modern life is stressful. It is filled with modern challenges. And it is short. That is certainly one thing that Covid highlighted.  We were not designed to all simply be cogs in Adam Smith's wheel.  The world is quickly barrelling toward a time when robots and machines will fulfill most tasks and the workforce will continue to diminish, leaving only menial jobs - its already happening. Then what?

I love what I do, and got into this work because I needed to find this balance for myself some years ago.  Nothing here is new or groundbreaking info. its all been said before, but I needed to create a new post and this was on my mind.
Lat words?  Eat sensibly, get rest, read a book, take a walk in nature and add regular bodywork to your self care regimen.

I look forward to seeing you