3.7.2. Subtheme 2.2: Life–Work Conflict and Work–Life Conflict

The additional care responsibilities placed on study participants led them to identify the fact that life interfered with their work to various degrees, and in some cases, work interfered with their lives. For Tammy, the caretaking and educating responsibilities of her children and her mother led her to quit her job, indicating that she experienced intense life–work conflict and was not able to continue to work during periods of intense caretaking. Ebere mentioned that having to care for her children and help educate her son was extremely stressful and was manifested in chronic pain in one of her hands. Ebere also experienced work–life confict when she was asked to travel when her daughter was a newborn. Murphy experienced life–work conflict in her position as Associate Dean since, because of the pandemic, she took on an enormous care burden for students and their parents, which was not a normal role she would play, and which led her to identify "empathy burnout" as a result. Amira commented that there was no work–life balance because there was no demarcation zone between the two. She concluded that she experienced work–life conflict and life–work conflict because of the loss of the distinction.

#### 3.7.3. Subtheme 2.3: An Opportunity to Know Ourselves and Understand Our Own Strength

Amira pointed out that "how we handle the journey makes me who I am, this person who I am today, who has the strength to confront adversity and change". The pandemic, Amira emphasized, offered the opportunity "to know ourselves and grow to get comfortable with who we are and to continue our growth trajectory. Change is inevitable and things will exist and will perish. It is a cycle and how I handle that journey makes me the person that I am today. Change needs to happen in order for us to grow as individuals".

Tammy emphasized that the pandemic offered the opportunity for self-discovery and increased confidence. As she said, "Trust yourself, trust your instincts, have self-confidence that you can do it ... it is difficult but you can do it ... . The pandemic has served as a testing ground". She added, "Resilience! ... just have to adapt ... I credit my mom ... I never would have been able to adapt if she hadn't raised me the way she did".
