When UCSF was able to safely open to 25% capacity for in-person research, my lab decided to divide our time by ~6 h shifts. On paper, this sounded like a pretty cut-and-dry way of conducting our workday (under the pandemic circumstances). At work, we could conduct experiments and organize in-person lab work, while at home we could analyze data, plan for experiments, and take meetings. Personally speaking, I enjoy the administrative tasks of my job. My planners and notebooks are sacred parts of me; whether it be handwriting weekly schedules with color schemes and stickers, or taking detailed notes of lab protocols with fun sticky note labels, I just like the act of organizing. I thought having out-of-lab time, dedicated to organization, would be an easy schedule modification. Also, perhaps having out-of-lab time to do analysis would enable productivity (a change of scenery, so to speak). So, with some adjustment to this hybrid schedule, I figured it would work well until we were able to safely return to full capacity. Little did I know how chaotic and difficult this was going to be. A result of this new schedule was an in-lab adrenaline rush (four to six hour burst of energy and activity), predictably followed by a period of fatigue upon returning home. While most of our lab's typical experiments can be organized and scheduled in a 6-hour time block, some had to be compacted. I had to experiment on the timing of an experiment that usually takes 2-3 full days, into three 6-hour days. Any errors or mistakes (usually due to the schedule packing/rushing) resulted in set-backs or having to redo experiments, which could throw off subsequent days' schedule. Sometimes I planned fewer experiments, but at the cost of feeling guilty that I did not use my time wisely. After a few months of being on this shift schedule, science was physically happening, but the mental capacity to orchestrate the science was decreasing. Much like the fallout of an adrenaline-rush, by the time I got home, I would blob. I was either tired or not motivated to do anything, unless I had afternoon meetings. On the days I did not plan things out, or do much data analysis, the subsequent in-lab days could be more chaotic. But, instead of not going in, because the in-lab time felt so sacred, we just kept going, feeding on the in-lab energy rush. Another unexpected challenge with the shift-schedule was the severe decrease in interaction with labmates. Daily conversations with my labmates are really valuable, not only because science is collaborative, but for me, I just started my postdoc in March 2020! While in-lab time is necessary for physical productivity, labmates play an important and large role in mental productivity/well-being. From sharing experiment ideas and going over results or new protocols, to just talking about our pets or the stock market, even the smallest of conversations brightened the day (blogger Miho has an excellent post on this). Upon realizing this, I made an effort to step back from completely filling the in-lab time with experiments and purposely leave some buffer time to (safely) chat with those that were also at work. After all, we are in a global pandemic, working at limited capacity with safety restrictions, and it would be delusional to expect 100% productivity 24/7. Even with adjustments, the hybrid schedule is unnatural and difficult for many doing lab work. But, continually adapting to the situation is necessary to maintain physical and mental health. An article written by Prof. Jen Heemstra talked about the pandemic in terms of a marathon, where you cannot see the finish line (read here!). I haven't run a marathon, but I did swim in high school, and can understand the psychological "holy cow I'm not gonna make it" feeling during practice and races. Athletics aside, it felt like that, nine months into our shift-schedule (and nearing a year from the initial shelter-in-place). Furthermore, science in general is more like a marathon, not a sprint. Experiments are built and planned based on prior results, and some research can take months to years to establish. But, scientific "sprints" and likewise "shift-schedule adrenaline" can result in varying degrees of burnout, which is physically and mentally detrimental. It is hard to prevent getting swept up in the rush, but for now, we are still in this pandemic, and even with vaccinations, there will be a new "normal". Thus, a reminder reflected by Prof. Heemstra, to us all: constantly adapting and being mindful of yourself should take precedence during these unprecedented times. AUTHOR
Kristin Wucherer
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