Silicon Valley's Mental Health During Covid-19
Disclaimer: At Blind, we are not mental health professionals. The perspective shared below is the aggregate opinion and sentiment of our platform. Our goal in writing this is to create a space where voices can share one small aspect of what the world is currently experiencing.
As we move away from the initial panicked reaction, deeper emotions begin to settle in. The “new normal” consists of digital interactions and socializing. So much so that Walmart said it’s seen a boom in sales for tops but not for bottoms as our new collective work dress code is strictly waist-up. While zoom happy hours, embarrassing work from home stories, and pant-less dress codes have made the situation more light-hearted, social distancing has real emotional implications.
Mental health is becoming a more significant national concern as more Americans are forced to remain isolated away from loved ones and support systems. On Blind, an anonymous professional network, with 3.2M verified users; there was an influx of posts regarding COVID-19, layoffs, and other challenges tied to the pandemic. As a result, we wanted to gauge the platform’s emotional well being in terms of their anxiety levels, feelings of loneliness, and productivity during social distancing.
Key Findings as 3/24-3/30(10,107 Responses):
- Are you experiencing increased loneliness during work from home and social distancing?
- Are you experiencing increased feelings of anxiety during work from home and social distancing?
- 56.4% of professionals answered yes
- 44.7% of Apple professionals are feeling increasingly anxious
- 49.2% of Capital One
- 62.5% of Salesforce
- 61.2% of Linkedin
- 44.7% of Apple professionals are feeling increasingly anxious
- 56.4% of professionals answered yes
- Have your productivity levels been impacted due to changes in your mental health while working from home?
These statistics have stories behind them. An anonymous professional at Cisco states, “Most of the folks have now spent enough time to digest what social distancing means. Now that reality is accepted, we need creative ways to occupy yourself.”
In terms of productivity, working from home has made it difficult for some professionals to strike a work-life balance. An anonymous professional at Nintendo explains that “I end up doing way more hours so positive for my employer.”
Unfortunately, the most concerning trend is the increased anxiety among professionals. An anonymous professional at Paypal discloses their struggles with extreme anxiety. Other users jumped in and offered advice as to how they are coping, including running, getting sunlight, and interacting with loved ones from a social distance.
The truth is business will remain muted, and much of the population will operate from their homes for the foreseeable future. With more than half of professionals feeling increasingly anxious, lonely, and struggling with productivity, what can we do as peers, colleagues, friends, and bosses to help make this “new normal” emotionally healthy? What could the pandemic mean for professionals in the short-term? Do these sentiments require a re-evaluation of work/life priorities? And the final question looking forward: in the post-COVID-19 world, what moments will gain new emotional resonance, what will matter to professionals?