Well, it’s that time again. Time to switch out the pajama pants for slacks and head back into the office spaces that we abandoned oh so long ago. Since it has been a while since the majority of us were in the office, we thought we would offer three tips to help you with returning to the office
1) Restart your Previous Work Routine
When people started working from home, many routines went out the window. No longer did we have to get up at 5 am to get the day started. Most of us would get up 30 minutes before start time and hop on our home computer to start work. Unfortunately, those days seem to be over. However, if you can restart your previous work routine, it can make going back to the office much easier. Start by waking up earlier than you have been while working from home. If you were waking up 30 minutes until start time, try waking up an hour before. After that, you can work your way back to your previous wake-up time. Also, make a few trips back to the office prior to going back. By making these trips, you can help ease the stress you might feel about heading back.
2) Contact Coworkers for Support
Most people (again, I said most people) enjoy working around other people. Having others to bounce ideas off of or just having someone to vent to can make the workplace seem a lot better. But over the past year, most workers have not had their work neighbors around to interact with. While a Zoom meeting or phone call might help some, it doesn’t take the place of face-to-face interaction. Try reaching out to a couple of coworkers and arrange a lunch. Talk about any concerns that you may have about heading back to the office. Who knows, maybe they share the same concerns you do. Going back to the office might feel a bit like going to a new school for some, but being able to have people to share the burden with could help ease any anxiety lingering around.
3) Reach out to your Employer about any Changes before returning to the office
For so long, we became accustomed to the normal, everyday routine of going to work and going home. Sure, every once in a while, the company might implement some new policies or rearrange the office, but for the most part, things stayed the same. However, with the pandemic still hanging around, things might seem foreign when you return. To anticipate what may come, reach out to your employer and ask about any changes that may arrive. You can also ask if there may be a part-time work-from-home option available as well. If so, that option might be one to consider to help ease back into returning to the office. By anticipating any changes coming, you can be ready to handle anything that may come your way.
While these may only be a few tips, they will be very helpful when the time comes to return to the office. Just remember, you have been there before. Just take it one step at a time and before you know it, it will be like you never left.