This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) – a week that is aimed at creating awareness around mental health and providing opportunities for individuals to talk openly about all aspects of mental health. With this, Becky Vint has opened up about her mental health and what she has learnt about herself during the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns.
I do not think I recalled ever saying or knowing what the word âfurloughâ was prior to 2020, a term that was not so common to us, or perhaps just to me, but now widely recognised.
With the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS â aka furlough) being launched on the 20th of April 2020, this provided a level of financial support from the government to businesses nationwide. At its peak 9.9 million employees were on the furlough scheme*. This is still very much something that is affecting people who, before 2020, had been balancing work, home life and play, to being thrown into an unknown climate and somehow trying to manage this uncertainty of income, job stability, amid the worry of whether you may become seriously ill (or someone close to you) from COVID-19.
In May 2020 I went on to the furlough scheme, I was hesitant to begin with, but there was a slight relief. At the time I was struggling balancing the demands of being a sole home schoolteacher to my 2 girls (not my primary job) whilst putting in a 9-5 dayâs work at home. I am not alone in saying this is HARD, my husband is a keyworker but due to the constraints of a lot of schools both parents had to be keyworkers in order to receive the keyworker service laid on (which is absolutely understandable looking back). Therefore, with that slight sigh of relief I started my furlough with a hopeful mindset that I could at least be present for home schooling. Did I feel guilt for what I was leaving at work? Umm yes, because I wanted to help OnTrack, but as my both my line manager and peers discussed with me, I was helping immensely taking that extra cost pressure away from the business in very uncertain times.
So being on Furlough – At the beginning I had a plan, a great plan, as long as my girls complied… safe to say, they did not.
Even having a robust school structure still resulted in tears most mornings. Some days we would get it â whoop! Some/most days… not so much. We tried to ensure we had plenty of exercise, going for walks and bike rides, great when it is good weather, not so great when it is raining. YouTube and gaming platforms had become something the girls required on a daily basis, do I feel guilt (yet again), yes, but do I talk myself round to being okay with it, absolutely, because it is not healthy to carry that around all the time. This is a blip.
Throughout my time on furlough, OnTrack kept in touch. Offering coaching and other manners of support where they could, this was incredibly helpful. There is a worry that once you are no longer around that you are forgotten, this, for me, was not the case.
I had been on full furlough for 2 months and was offered the chance to return on the flexible furlough scheme at the beginning of July 2020. I was really pleased but still unsure what the future of my role would become, coming back to work was daunting, what has changed, how are those who have been working throughout, how do they feel and are they okay? However, after catching up with my peers, everyone has a different story to tell about their experiences, but everyone appreciates that (as Boris would say) âwe are all in this togetherâ.
It is great to see people are returning slowly to work now. Since September 2020, my role has adapted and grown, I did move into a part time role at OnTrack and was no longer on the flexible furlough scheme, but my role has since become full time again and there is a little light at the end of the tunnel that there will be growth.
People are starting to go out and sit in the cold, in each otherâs gardens, pub gardens and outdoor spaces, just to catch up with their families and friends face to face. Which I love!
From my furlough experience, I think I can safely say that the world is not what it was pre-2020, it will not continue to be. To adapt and evolve is something that the human race can do incredibly well. I know that whatever happens, I can adapt and evolve, and yes it will have its challenges, but I have found that talking, listening, and checking in with my colleagues, friends, and family, making sure they are doing okay, helps. This is something that should and will continue after the madness of COVID-19. Ensuring I check in with those I care about.
As someone I respect greatly said, and is important to remember, âwe may all be in the same storm, but navigating in different boatsâ. Our challenges are important to us and those we touch around us. Please take the time to give yourself and others a break.
