| A vicious cycle has been taking over many businesses amid the Covid-19 pandemic. First, many homebound workers have been dealing with stress, fear, and social isolation. One global survey, organised by the University of Minnesota, found “a great deal of uncertainty across multiple life domains, causing increased psychological challenges. Respondents generally felt more stressed, depressed, anxious, nervous, and more overwhelmed.” In the United States, nearly 7 in 10 employees told mental health provider Ginger that the pandemic “is the most stressful time of their entire professional career,” the American Journal of Managed Care reported. At the same time, businesses need workers to be productive. Layoffs have left fewer people handling more tasks. There are widespread reports of people putting in longer hours and losing whatever semblance of work-life balance they may have achieved previously. All of this makes stress even worse. | 