The social psychology group at the University of the Balearic Islands conducted a survey of work-life balance during the confinement. Carried out in March and May, 1,750 people were surveyed, and a finding was that 40.7% did all their work from home over that period.
For 35.8%, this was their first experience of homeworking, and 34.1% said that they would like to continue working in this way. Over half, 54%, were satisfied with their work performance.
In terms of emotional well-being, fear was the great enemy during the lockdown. Heading the list, with 61.1%, was fear of the pandemic's economic impact. This was followed by fear of contagion (42.7%) and fear of losing a job (20.2%).
Women found it more difficult to reconcile work and family life than men, with 22.6% of women having had an anxiety reaction to this difficulty; only 9.7% of men did. For women, this was especially the case because of young children. More women, 14.5%, admitted to bouts of sadness than men (7.9%).
However, the survey indicates that where there was satisfaction with the work-life balance, there was less anxiety and sadness. Most people, the survey concludes, were able to manage their emotions effectively during the confinement.
There were two surveys, one during the first week of confinement in March and the second two months later. Negative emotions, such as anxiety and sadness, decreased, while positive emotions and a feeling of calmness increased.