So many things…
The past couple of years have really taken a toll on me. We moved from Denver to Northern Wisconsin back in 2017, and what felt like a fresh start came with challenges we didn’t see coming — including my wife becoming her grandfather’s guardian due to his advanced dementia. By late 2021, things are finally starting to settle at our new home. Finally.
And then there’s the whole COVID chaos. What was initially supposed to be a two-week ordeal turned into a two-year saga. Thankfully, I’ve been able to work from home with the perks of fiber internet. Despite the support from my employer and manager, the daily grind has been a source of frustration. The new routine, lack of commute, and constant distractions make it feel like a never-ending struggle.
Dealing with co-workers who don’t respect my Teams status doesn’t help either, leading me to go invisible at times. The constant shifts and distractions in the database group add to the frustration, making it hard to focus on our tasks. It’s tough when our efforts go unnoticed, but I guess that’s the nature of behind-the-scenes work. That’s enough venting for now. Thanks for listening.
Key Takeaways
- COVID fatigue is real and cumulative — two years of it plus a relocation and a family health crisis compounds fast.
- Behind-the-scenes infrastructure work rarely gets recognized. That doesn’t make it less important, but it does make morale harder to sustain.
- Going invisible on Teams to get actual work done isn’t ideal, but sometimes it’s the practical answer.
- Venting has its place. So does deciding what to do next.