We love hearing and sharing your stories. We want to find out how people are adapting to their ‘new normal’, what changes they’re making and what they’re learning. Each week, we share a story with you, from people in different jobs (or not in jobs for some), in different places, with different experiences. If you’re interested in sharing your story, we’d love to hear how the ‘new normal’ is for you.
What’s your name and what do you do?
Juliana Dornellas, International Mobility Manager at EDF
How did you start your day today?
It started with my daughter abruptly opening my room’s door asking for the Ipad to watch “Mia and Me.”
What was a typical day like for you pre Covid-19?
It was rushed and a bit robotic. I had to rush to work so I could get to the office as early as possible, and leave a bit before 5 in order to be able to pick up my child from nursery in time (before 6). She would spend 10 full hours at nursery, from 8am to 6pm. I felt awful for that. I had a hard time spending this much time commuting and confined in an office, so I kept hoping for a revolution to free us all.
And what is a typical day like now?
I feel I have a life now (it is less rushed), even though we cannot yet do some of the great stuff we used to be able to in the past, such as my child’s dance class, or going to the theatre and nice restaurants. We absolutely love the theatre and when I explained about the lockdown to my daughter, that everything would be closed for a while, she asked: even the theatre? And she cried.
We are not stressed for her to be in bed by 8. We have time to play. She doesn’t spend 10 hours at nursery anymore. We don’t spend 3 hours commuting back and forth at rush hour as cattle anymore. It feels more like life.
What’s been the biggest change to your life (working and personal) in light of Covid-19?
Not having to commute has been the biggest change. I absolutely love working from home. I gained 3 hours back in my day.
How have you personally had to adapt to accommodate what’s happening?
We used to travel, go to the gym as a family, go to the theatre, restaurants etc which we have not been able to do, but on the other hand, we feel more alive than before. We don’t keep wishing for the weekend anymore. We live every day.
And what have been the biggest challenges (working and personal)?
It was quite challenging when my husband and I were both trying to work full time and our child did not have a dedicated parent with her at all times during nursery closure. But thankfully this only lasted a couple of weeks. We then started working part time so my husband would look after her in the mornings and I would in the afternoon.
At work, it suddenly became really busy with lots of meetings and no time to breathe. Our expats started returning to their home countries to spend the lockdown at home and we needed to monitor who was going where and who was staying. There were many queries coming from every direction and we needed to respond quickly. At the same time, our relocation services provider furloughed many consultants, so we had half the help we had been used to. We obviously hadn’t planned for any of this, as it was an unforeseen situation, so it was a bit difficult to pick it up from the middle of the storm.
What do you miss most about your life pre Covid 19 (working and personal)?
I miss the theatre and being able to walk freely unafraid of catching Coronavirus. I also miss lunches at Leon. They don’t deliver in Greenwich.
What surprisingly good things have emerged in your life since this began?
My 4 year old became fluent in Portuguese, as I was able to spend more time with her.
What have you learnt about yourself during this?
How much I love playing with my daughter. She has an amazing creative mind that astonishes me each afternoon we spent playing together before nurseries were open!
What do you hope we as a society learn from this situation?
I hope we never go back to what it was like before, that we continue on improving on our work-life balance. I truly believe that we can all do our jobs in 5 or 6 hours a day if we set our minds to it and crack on. That is the amount of time we can concentrate. The rest of the time we were probably there, but our minds elsewhere. Time to be with whom we love and do what we love is precious and gives meaning to life. I hope we never go back to being robots, all commuting to the centre of London and returning home at the same time, as if that was normal, or even a great idea! That we are never locked in lifeless offices with hospital white lights, many times with no windows. But that we can be human and creative again.
What has helped you to cope with your situation?
My employer most definitely. We were given 10 days paid annual leave to be able to cope with nursery / school closure. I found that was a great gesture – very humane. We see a lot of corporate campaigns about employers saying they care for their employees and their mental health but it is rarer to really see that taking place, indeed in the corporate world. EDF showed me in more than words or “phone lines I could call to speak to someone” that they actually care. Compassion in times such as these is what makes the difference.
What message would you like to pass onto others?
Let’s fight. Let’s take what is happening now to the next level and make the changes we so desperately needed. Let’s not go back to our old ways rushing back and forth, deaf by the hustle and bustle. Let’s listen to Life’s opera, our children’s laughter. Let’s move to another country where the sun shines, or whatever our dream is that “work was in the way” of realising it. I know we are not here “to simply work, pay the bills and go to the grocery store on the weekends.” Let’s be in the play or applaud the show in tears.
Finally, what’s on your ‘Playlist’:
TV or Boxset? – a lot of Brazilian soap opera sound tracks. Brazilian soaps are a part of me.
Meal? – sushi
Film? – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Thing to do that just makes you happy! – Writing, theatre, Brazilian soaps, playing with my daughter, going on dates with my husband, watching the dolphins in the Algarve.
