bout de papier, Vol. 31, No. 3 (2021), p. 3
WE’VE BEEN DEALING WITH the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year, and much of the world is in the middle of a third wave. At the same time, vaccine administration is finally ramping up, and even Bill Gates predicts that the world will be back to normal by the end of 2022. It sounds like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. So, why aren’t we more excited?
COVID-19 has disrupted not only our daily routines but also our ability to plan for anything from summer vacation to the rest of our lives. Although the Foreign Service is used to a higher level of uncertainty than many other groups, many of us have been separated from loved ones for unusually long periods, and travel restrictions, staffing levels and workloads mean many don’t know when they will be able to reconnect. In our last questionnaire to members, fully two-thirds of those serving abroad had not seen their extended families for over a year and had no idea when that would change. Even worse, there was a widespread sense that the Foreign Service’s systems and culture, from the Foreign Service Directives to management priorities, are not designed to provide the support they need.
This chronic nature of the pandemic makes it particularly challenging. In the past year, we’ve all battled concerns about spreading the virus in our workplaces and communities as we’ve adjusted to drastic changes. When I first heard the term “next normal,” I thought it was amusing; now, I hear regularly from members who have had to rebuild their systems and routines over and over again in response to fluctuations in virus levels and COVID-19 restrictions. That’s not easy, even for a group chosen for its high level of flexibility and adaptability, and the slow pace of the vaccine rollout to missions abroad has added to feelings of uncertainty and lack of support.
Those who have been unlucky enough to get sick from COVID-19 have endured additional hardships ranging from extreme medical intervention to physical and emotional isolation from friends and family and guilt over possible transmission to others. Even after someone has recovered, they can still experience pain and physical limitations, as well as depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms. Many of our members are going through this in situations far from home. Many more are witnessing first-hand the destruction that COVID-19 is wreaking on vulnerable people and societies worldwide and struggling to find ways to help.
Some groups are experiencing a collective psychological and emotional reaction to the stress of the pandemic. Here in Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Commission has raised the alarm about rising mental health needs in Canadian communities, where people are showing symptoms of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, all connected to trauma. The situation is similar around the world and is exacerbated by pre-existing stressors and inequalities at all levels. Our current health care system for members abroad is administratively burdensome. It makes it difficult for members and their families, even at missions with sound health care systems, to get the same level of care as they would receive in Canada.
Even those who have escaped the worst kinds of physical or psychological distress might not be feeling great. Without the exposure to different cultures and contacts that make the Foreign Service so attractive, many of our members report feeling disconnected and crushed under mountains of unprioritized demands. Dr. Corey Keyes, an American sociologist, calls this “languishing.” He described it to the National Post as “the middle ground between being mentally healthy and mentally ill,” characterized by an absence of feeling and functioning well. Since it’s less dramatic, it’s easy not to notice that things have stopped giving pleasure or catching interest. There’s a higher risk of isolation, making people less likely to seek help, and languishing now can be a harbinger of more serious mental illness even a decade or more down the line.
Psychologists have many suggestions for what we can do if we find ourselves languishing. One of the main antidotes is “flow,” a state of absorption that temporarily cancels out internal and external concerns, requiring uninterrupted time and focus. Unfortunately, for many of us, workloads and other demands mean that time and focus are in very short supply these days. We need to set boundaries and prioritize our own mental health.
However, while these individual bandages are useful, even essential, they won’t heal a damaged system. The pandemic has laid bare the gaps left by decades of erosion of the professional Foreign Service, which is spread very thinly at the best of times. It has also highlighted a system that is ill-prepared to care for the human needs of its people at home and abroad, and that places employee well-being below results without factoring in the human costs.
This pandemic is dragging on, and a certain amount of trouble-coping is normal and inevitable. PAFSO recognizes that some of these problems are caused by changeable circumstances, and we are seeking to address them over the medium to long term. When we do, we might not only see more light; we might even get out of the tunnel.
Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 31, No. 3 (2021), p. 3. Read the rest of this issue →
