By Corinna Chandler, Research Administrator in Bristol Medical School and Mental Health Champion
The difference a year makes, hey?
During a catch-up in the latter part of 2020, the Mental Health Champions were reflecting on how our working days had changed over the past 12 months. More than anything else, it highlighted how our time spent in social interactions had changed. We don’t simply mean the time spent with colleagues in meetings, but connecting with them on a human level – the small talk, spontaneous chat, the discussions of your most recently watched Netflix series.
Ultimately we realised that, for many of us, screen time is at an all-time high, and social interaction at an all-time low.
For the data-hungry, we asked some staff to give us a couple of before-and-after snapshots showing how their working day has changed.
Emily (academic) |
26 November 2019 | 25 November 2020 |
| Face-to-face interactions | 40 students, 30+ staff | 1 (my partner, also WFH) |
| Screen time | 3 hrs 15 mins | 7 hrs 45 mins |
| Conflicting meetings | 0 | 3 |
| Lunch break | 45 mins | None (ate at desk during webinar) |
| Other breaks | 1 (30 mins) | 1 (45 mins coffee/walk breaks) |
Molly (Prof Services) |
January 2020 | January 2021 |
| Face-to-face interactions | 20+ staff (open-plan office) | 1-2 weekly |
| Screen time | 5-6 hours daily | 7-8 hrs daily |
| Lunch break | 1 hr (inc short walk) | 1 hr (occasionally inc short walk) |
| Other breaks | Various inc walking to meetings | Infrequent, short (drinks/snacks) |
Louisa (academic) |
27 November 2019 | 26 November 2020 |
| Face-to-face interactions | 100+ students, 30+ staff | 1 (my husband, also WFH) |
| Screen time | Limited | 4 hrs |
| Lunch break | 1 hr (inc walk w colleague) | 30 mins (inc exercise w dog in garden) |
| Other breaks | 2 x 10 mins | 1 comfort break, 1 5-min Skype chat |
Regardless of your work area – academic, Professional Services, campus, technical – I’m sure there are ways in which the interactions that contribute to your working day have changed. It was these changes in our collective experiences that formed the foundations of the message that we wanted to spread.
Social interaction is one part of what we can do to stay well, but there are lots of other ways that you can reclaim your time. Staff will be sharing their own experiences and examples in future posts, coming soon.