Grappling with (academic) acedia?

A few weeks ago, I came across this article on social media, 'Acedia: the lost name for the emotion we’re all feeling right now'. Given that the article seemed to be 'making the rounds', I assume some of you probably came across it too, and I'm wondering whether it spoke to others the way it did to me. During the first several months of the pandemic, I would describe myself as more stressed than normal (worrying about my health, the health of loved ones, etc.), but on the whole, I didn't have too much trouble adapting to social distancing. Because I'm an introvert, it actually initially came fairly naturally. However, now that the pandemic is stretching on, I'm finding it progressively more difficult. For example, although I'm doing my best, I'm finding teaching to be a struggle--in part because it's hard to get to know my students, but also because it's difficult to get good in-class conversations going when half of my students are in the classroom and other half are at home. And so on.  Similarly, while I've had some time to get some research done, I've found it more difficult than usual to motivate and find anything like my normal levels of enthusiasm and focus. And, while I've tried to focus on hobbies (particularly music) and Zoom meetups to keep my spirits up, I've found that only goes so far. I miss seeing people in person, and most days seem akin to copies of the last (fewer unexpected things happen when you stay at home everyday!). Anyway, everything just seems difficult. 

Anyway, I'm curious whether readers are having similar struggles, and if so, what kinds of things you've found to be helpful. I realize there's only so much that we can do under pandemic conditions (particularly as a second wave seems to be emerging), but still, I thought it might be good to discuss and crowdsource tips, as it were. Anyone able and willing to share?

Comments

[Katharine]

Running is my primary hobby outside of work, and I have discovered the pleasure of driving to a new-to-me neighborhood for my short after-work run. I've explored many different residential areas that are within a 6 mile radius of my house. It is delightful to come across little neighborhood parks that I didn't know existed and to see kids and teens (masked and social distancing) playing on playgrounds.

[Helen De Cruz]

I'm an extrovert, and I'm worried about how this is affecting my psyche. I do try to socialize via Zoom with friends and family, but I've noticed these meetings are making tired, and don't energize me as social stuff used to. I know there's a lot else to worry about, but I worry I'll come out of this pandemic in a permanently altered state, a state of someone who can't socialize anymore, or for whom socializing has become tiresome and burdensome.
Already, I've moved to the US last August and it dawned upon me that I've now spent more time in pandemic than not in pandemic in the US, and it's very isolating. People I care about don't just live across the Atlantic, they might as well live on the Moon. It's so far away.
Everything seems so difficult. My kids struggle with online school particularly my youngest. I'm just exhausted all the time. At the same time, I do seem to get a lot of work done and it's one of the few things I do find joy in (my hobbies now are really at a low--I wrote quite some fiction before this thing started, now I just can't find inspiration; I have to really push myself to play music or to draw).
I try to remain optimistic, but it's hard.

[Trevor Hedberg]

It's definitely been harder to maintain motivation to get work done. I don't just think it's the pandemic: in the US, there's also a ton of political madness taking place and an all-too-real possibility that the election results will be challenged. It amounts to a very large distraction, and many of the things we'd normally do to alleviate stress (i.e., those involving large gatherings of people) are not happening right now. Additionally, I wasn't anticipating that we'd still be neck deep in this pandemic after more than 7 months -- and with no clear end in sight! It's hard to keep one's spirits up under the circumstances.

[Tom2]

This is speculation, but I wonder if uncertainty about the future of the academy, and even more acutely the future of the philosophy profession, plays a role. Insofar as one is motivated to, say, write a paper by the promise of a TT job, or tenure, or a position at a fancy school, or (academic) fame, etc.--well, those now appear to be in peril. So I think to write, and to write well, you have to enjoy it or think it's worthwhile for its own sake. And I do.

More generally, I suspect there is a growing feeling that things are just not working for people anymore, individually and collectively, and that an inflection point is coming. If that is the case, I am not surprised that this feeling of "acedia" is widespread.