The lives of everyone have been upended during the pandemic. Turning that adversity into personal growth, positivity, and increased productivity is now a current and ongoing challenge as workers transition to the normalcy of the office routine and life after lockdown.
Although working from home felt safe and serene, it was often difficult to stay focused on the tasks that provided an income. The numerous distractions of securing food and consumables, avoiding outside contacts and maintaining healthy habits inside four walls was daunting. Everyone had to make a concerted effort to cope with the ever-present pressure to block out the upheaval that the unseen and raging virus was causing. Good moods and strategizing a plan for an achievable family indoor life, between business zoom calls and barking dogs, led to early and frequent burnout. That said, life continued, people persevered and now it’s time to move forward.
Back To Work Re-Entry Anxiety – Make A Plan
The human spirit is indomitable. After many months at home people made the adjustment to confined life. Online work in comfy sweatpants and old socks, side-hustles for extra income, hot coffee and snacks whenever and a concentration on personal health, simple happiness and wellbeing, gave many working professionals a heightened respect for working from home. Yes, the return to structured office life does create anxiety. Re-engaging person-to-person after isolation takes a renewed energy and enthusiasm. The effort taken to commute again after all the stay-at-home comforts is a reality that must be faced. Crafting a plan for facing the challenges of real-time office life with its restrictions and new procedures will help to alleviate stress and anxious feelings you may have about life after lockdown.
Ramp Up To Reconfigured Office Life – Slow The Go
Hitting the road after many months of idleness takes a renewed focus and concentration that has not been recently exercised. It won’t take long to get up to speed on increased traffic. However, the need to have no distractions and an attention to your lax skill set for signaling, lane changes, route preparations, objects in the roadway, road conditions and driver error will help keep you safe as you slowly transition to the new-road-ready-driver you can become again. Making sure your insurance coverage is up to date with the amenities you now need is a wise plan. A phone call to a provider you can trust, like Freeway Auto Insurance, lets you drive those miles to the office with the renewed confidence that proactive thinking has provided.
Planning Office Re-entry – Focus On The Positive Aspects
Whether you have the option to spend specific hours working from home and other days back in your work environment, or a full-on return to structured office activity, concentrating on the positives of this situation can make a huge difference in reducing the stress that this kind of change creates. Speaking directly with your office administrator to determine the best safety practices to engage in is at the forefront of a workable and beneficial reentry. Making an effort to concentrate on the plus-side of life after lockdown is critical for achieving a healthy mindset and the kind of energy necessary for productivity and achievement. If you look at the analytics of the advantages to a return to the office, you will note that:
- Feelings of isolation experienced for many months will dissipate.
- Team interaction stirs renewed creativity and energy.
- Rebuilding social connections is life affirming and fun.
- Distractions from projects and interrupted communications disappear.
- Building a support group at work gradually in small groups, then adding others, will help to rebuild communication skills and add the element of comradery which is priceless at work.
- Being stalwart in embracing the tasks that must be achieved with a good attitude shows your strength of character, flexibility and company commitment.
- Plan to take note of the safety procedures that co-workers are following and respect their choice not to shake hands and to socially distance.
- Familiarize yourself with the company’s new rules for safety, sanitizing and any other health procedures which have been formulated to keep everyone healthy.
- Note that taking work back to the office offers an opportunity for an improved work/life balance. It creates the natural boundary for each aspect of your life prioritizing a sense of wellness and happiness.
Practice Self-Care To Maintain A Stress-Free Mind Set For Positive Change
Psychologists have stated that feelings of social anxiety are a normal reaction to all the separation and social distancing that has been created during the mitigation of the virus. Designing a plan to maintain a healthy regime at home for exercise, sound sleep, healthy food consumption, and relaxation will allow you to cope with the constraints that the new-normal office environment will have in place for a period of time to come. Be patient with yourself as you adjust to life after lockdown and try to reach that peak of performance you had previously. Like all good things it will return. Include taking frequent breaks and adding fun family photos into your workspace to instill that sense of the full life, both challenging and happy, that you have been blessed to maintain and regain in 2021.
*collaborative post