People walk through Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul on June 25, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Office workers and students who had been enjoying indoor, solitary hours when social distancing measures were still in place during the pandemic are now worried about giving up that lifestyle.
Those with introverted personalities, in particular, are beginning to feel more frustrations.
“I was always able to use the pandemic as an excuse to avoid meetings with people I barely know,” said Seol Da-eun, a 22-year-old college student. “Now, I won’t be able to make these kinds of excuses anymore. I’ll have to start attending those gatherings.”
“I’ll have to start going to family gatherings again,” said a 59-year-old homemaker surnamed Hwang.
“The social distancing restrictions allowed me to stay away from large-sized family gatherings for the last two years. Now, I don’t have an excuse anymore.”
With the social distancing restrictions being lifted, some people are running into a variety of inconveniences, if not depression or anxiety.
“Commuting to work was a social norm. I had no problems with it until I started working from home. Now, I’m anxious about the commute,” said Lee Ji-hyun, a 26-year-old office worker.
“I’ve grown used to waking up in the morning, eating breakfast, working from home, and exercising after work. I’m worried about having to change all that now.”
A lot of people have complained about a lack of sleep after work-from-home policies ended.
“Waking up at 7:30 a.m. was enough for me to sign in to work by 8 a.m. when the work-from-home policy was still in place,” said Song Mi-jeong, a 29-year-old office worker commuting to Gangnam district in southern Seoul.
“Now, I have to wake up at 6. I’m sleeping an hour less, and I am very tired.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
