For small business owners like Kristina Sung, who runs a chocolate shop, the emotional toll of the pandemic can be overwhelming. âI thought I was immune to this at first because I've dealt with anxiety my whole life,â Sung told CTV News on Wednesday. For her, pandemic-induced anxiety translates into a feeling of tiredness she canât seem to shake. âIâm feeling the exhaustion of having to work to keep on top of keeping COVID out, keeping COVID depression out.â Paula Allen, global leader and senior vice-president of research and total wellbeing at Morneau Shepell, said one of the biggest challenges facing employers during the COVID-19 pandemic is finding a balance between the effort and impact of employee productivity.