Life In Their Shoes
Whilst Covid-19 continues to affect each and every individual in the United Kingdom, it is easy to become fixated on personal problems. In the meantime, there are many unique situations across the country, and the world, in which people's lives continue to be turned upside down by the social and economic destruction caused by the virus.
Speaking to a small group of people from different walks of life, I began to understand how the lockdown and social distancing measures have impacted lives, and how people would like to move forward over the coming months. I chose to speak to three key groups; full-time key workers, self-employed workers and full-time students, all of which offered different takes on what it is like to live through a global pandemic.
Olivia, 20, works in a supermarket. She has been doing many more hours than she is contracted during the outbreak due to unprecedented demand on stores to supply essential goods. Subsequently, she and her retail colleagues have been labelled 'key workers'. Though this title sounds nice, it means Olivia and other shop-workers have been exposed to the virus from the outset of the epidemic.
She explained how difficult it has been to enforce social distancing within stores, even with fewer people allowed in at any one time, as customers are often invasive and can get aggressive if asked to practice distancing. She told me how there are "many negatives" as people blame her for the situation, "rather than the virus itself."
Olivia opened up about her mental health, and how her anxiety has "gotten a lot worse" during the pandemic as she is "risking her family's lives by coming to work". She feels as though customers forget that she is also a human with loved ones to protect, as well are her own health being put at stake.
Workers like Olivia want stricter enforcement of rules within supermarkets, such as protective masks and a one family member per-shop rule to ensure the safety and hygiene of staff and other shoppers. Olivia feels as though existing rules only seem to protect the shoppers, whilst the shop staff are an "afterthought".
Social Care Facilitator Clare, 46, has also had her work significantly impacted by the virus as a key worker. She is currently one of the millions working from home in an attempt to control the spread of the virus in workplaces, which she feels has significantly impacted her motivation and concentration.
She does not feel as though she is productive when "continually working from home", and believes that the lack of motivation has taken a toll on her mental health, especially with the absence of "daily routines" that she relied on before the outbreak. She hopes to be gradually phased back in to her typical office environment in the coming weeks in order to boost productivity and help those in need.
Whilst large chunks of the working population have been furloughed on reduced pay, there are also many who have not been paid at all. Self-employed workers like Kallum, a 20-year-old DJ, have been out of work for up to two months with no income.
"Lockdown has restricted my work massively", says Kallum, who relies on his DJing for a large chunk of his income. He has not played a show for two months, and his earnings now come solely from music royalties every quarter, leaving him without a regular income.
"Some days I can feel really bored, but I try to do things to keep myself busy so I don't go mad".
Kallum explained how he tries not to worry about the virus and just take each day as it comes, but inevitably he hopes the spread slows as quickly as possible so that "we can all start seeing our families more and I can start working again."
As a young person, worrying about the future often becomes a part of growing up, even without the added pressure of surviving a pandemic. Whilst those in work have had concerns around job safety and reduced wages, students across the country have had little in the way of government support or guidance for their studies and student accomodation.
Universities have therefore taken individual measures to support students, some better than others, however many student housing landlords are still demanding rent payments for all of the months that students are not living in the accommodation whilst they isolate in their hometowns with loved ones.
I spoke to two second-year university students. Elise, 20, studies at the University of Nottingham and has coped relatively well with the disturbance to her studies, but has felt stressed by the changes to exams and "weighting changes" to courseworks.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Neeve is a student at the University of Northampton and describes how she feels her uni work has "taken a back burner" due to the disruption to her academic year. She misses her "usual support systems and structures" that typically motivate her and maintain her routine.
Despite such unrest, Neeve feels her health may have actually improved after moving back to her home town for lockdown. She said "surprisingly my mental health has been fine [..] and my regular health is better as i've had far more time to dedicate to becoming healthier." The added free time has allowed many to get fit, with the added benefit of pubs and restaurants remaining off-limits.
Both women said they would appreciate "additional support" for the student population. "We aren't getting what we pay for" says Elise, who is particularly keen to see acknowledgement within parliament regarding lowering this years tuition fees, given the reduced quality of teaching and student experience during the second academic semester.
Overall, it remains clear that the health of individuals and their families is most essential, but protecting workers with safe working conditions and appropriate financial aid is crucial for both physical and mental wellbeing,
The virus continues to threaten lives and livelihoods, and with the uncertainty of when this harsh reality will end, many remain anxious. From those in full-time work, to those studying at home, each member of society is dealing with the pandemic in a unique and entirely individual way.
In such confusing and complex times, it is essential to be kind and considerate of others, with the understanding that everyone is working hard to make the best of a bad situation. We can only hope that brighter days are on the horizon.
Speaking to a small group of people from different walks of life, I began to understand how the lockdown and social distancing measures have impacted lives, and how people would like to move forward over the coming months. I chose to speak to three key groups; full-time key workers, self-employed workers and full-time students, all of which offered different takes on what it is like to live through a global pandemic.
Olivia, 20, works in a supermarket. She has been doing many more hours than she is contracted during the outbreak due to unprecedented demand on stores to supply essential goods. Subsequently, she and her retail colleagues have been labelled 'key workers'. Though this title sounds nice, it means Olivia and other shop-workers have been exposed to the virus from the outset of the epidemic.
She explained how difficult it has been to enforce social distancing within stores, even with fewer people allowed in at any one time, as customers are often invasive and can get aggressive if asked to practice distancing. She told me how there are "many negatives" as people blame her for the situation, "rather than the virus itself."
Olivia opened up about her mental health, and how her anxiety has "gotten a lot worse" during the pandemic as she is "risking her family's lives by coming to work". She feels as though customers forget that she is also a human with loved ones to protect, as well are her own health being put at stake.
Workers like Olivia want stricter enforcement of rules within supermarkets, such as protective masks and a one family member per-shop rule to ensure the safety and hygiene of staff and other shoppers. Olivia feels as though existing rules only seem to protect the shoppers, whilst the shop staff are an "afterthought".
Social Care Facilitator Clare, 46, has also had her work significantly impacted by the virus as a key worker. She is currently one of the millions working from home in an attempt to control the spread of the virus in workplaces, which she feels has significantly impacted her motivation and concentration.
She does not feel as though she is productive when "continually working from home", and believes that the lack of motivation has taken a toll on her mental health, especially with the absence of "daily routines" that she relied on before the outbreak. She hopes to be gradually phased back in to her typical office environment in the coming weeks in order to boost productivity and help those in need.
Whilst large chunks of the working population have been furloughed on reduced pay, there are also many who have not been paid at all. Self-employed workers like Kallum, a 20-year-old DJ, have been out of work for up to two months with no income.
"Lockdown has restricted my work massively", says Kallum, who relies on his DJing for a large chunk of his income. He has not played a show for two months, and his earnings now come solely from music royalties every quarter, leaving him without a regular income.
"Some days I can feel really bored, but I try to do things to keep myself busy so I don't go mad".
Kallum explained how he tries not to worry about the virus and just take each day as it comes, but inevitably he hopes the spread slows as quickly as possible so that "we can all start seeing our families more and I can start working again."
As a young person, worrying about the future often becomes a part of growing up, even without the added pressure of surviving a pandemic. Whilst those in work have had concerns around job safety and reduced wages, students across the country have had little in the way of government support or guidance for their studies and student accomodation.
Universities have therefore taken individual measures to support students, some better than others, however many student housing landlords are still demanding rent payments for all of the months that students are not living in the accommodation whilst they isolate in their hometowns with loved ones.
I spoke to two second-year university students. Elise, 20, studies at the University of Nottingham and has coped relatively well with the disturbance to her studies, but has felt stressed by the changes to exams and "weighting changes" to courseworks.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Neeve is a student at the University of Northampton and describes how she feels her uni work has "taken a back burner" due to the disruption to her academic year. She misses her "usual support systems and structures" that typically motivate her and maintain her routine.
Despite such unrest, Neeve feels her health may have actually improved after moving back to her home town for lockdown. She said "surprisingly my mental health has been fine [..] and my regular health is better as i've had far more time to dedicate to becoming healthier." The added free time has allowed many to get fit, with the added benefit of pubs and restaurants remaining off-limits.
Both women said they would appreciate "additional support" for the student population. "We aren't getting what we pay for" says Elise, who is particularly keen to see acknowledgement within parliament regarding lowering this years tuition fees, given the reduced quality of teaching and student experience during the second academic semester.
Overall, it remains clear that the health of individuals and their families is most essential, but protecting workers with safe working conditions and appropriate financial aid is crucial for both physical and mental wellbeing,
The virus continues to threaten lives and livelihoods, and with the uncertainty of when this harsh reality will end, many remain anxious. From those in full-time work, to those studying at home, each member of society is dealing with the pandemic in a unique and entirely individual way.
In such confusing and complex times, it is essential to be kind and considerate of others, with the understanding that everyone is working hard to make the best of a bad situation. We can only hope that brighter days are on the horizon.
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