DEALING WITH THE ANXIETY OF RETURNING TO THE OFFICE (AND THE WORLD

Here in Australia, we’re nearing what have been determined to be the goals for vaccination numbers, at least in the big cities anyway. As we hit 70% double vaccinations, and hopefully soon after that 80% double vaccinations, restrictions on what we’re allowed to do and where we can do it will ease, and we’ll be able to return to many of the activities we previously enjoyed and found satisfying.?

And one of those will be returning to work and returning to the office.?

All of which, for many of us, will generate excitement. Just the thought of socialising with our friends again and being in the same room as colleagues will create genuine joy and positive anticipation; as it should.?

At the same time, for some, probably a sizeable number given what we’ve been through over the last 18 months or so, there will also be anxiety and apprehension. Anxiety and fear for our health and wellbeing, anxiety and fear about doing things and going places we’ve not been for a while, and maybe even some concern about dealing with colleagues who might have different beliefs and opinions about what’s going on and how to manage it.?

The good news

But the good news is that even before Covid-19 and even before lockdowns, people have experienced anxiety. And for as long as psychology has existed as a formal scientific discipline, we’ve studied the underlying causes of anxiety and notably, what interventions work to ameliorate it.?

Practical tips?

Accordingly, I’m happy to share with you today my top tips for dealing with anxiety, specifically in the context of returning to the office. So here we go:?

- To begin with, it can help to recognise what we’re dealing with if we want to deal with it. That is, the first step in managing anxiety is acknowledging anxiety. Take some time, therefore, to be mindful of your emotions and take some time to reflect upon exactly how you’re feeling

- If you can, label the specific emotion. What, exactly, are you feeling? If you can differentiate between anxiety and depression, frustration and anger, you’ll set yourself up to deal with it more constructively?

- Following this, see if you can identify the underlying causes. What are the specific causes of your anxiety? About what are you actually anxious? Investigating these contributing factors can make it easier to identify helpful strategies?

- If you can then get to a place where you know how you’re feeling and where you know what’s causing these feelings, then the next step is to determine what you can do to feel better

- Now, it’s perfectly OK not to be OK all the time; and especially at the moment, it’s normal and even appropriate to feel unsure and anxious. There are some very real concerns for many of us but there are also some very real steps we can take to address those concerns. So again, although it’s OK not to be OK it’s also OK to do what you can to be more OK?

- The big question then becomes … what can I do to take care of myself? And we know from the research that there are, in fact, many things we can do to take care of ourselves. The most popular of these have proven to be…

- Acceptance: accept the reality and even the appropriateness of unpleasant emotions and try not to fight them too much if possible

- Relaxation: try to stay calm, as best you can as often as you can. Practicing relaxation and/or meditation strategies has been proven to be wonderfully beneficial

- Return to the office slowly and gradually if you need to: talk to your manager about setting up a graded return to the office that’s practical for all involved and with which you feel comfortable?

- Be prepared for the fact different people will be thinking and feeling differently: where relevant and appropriate, discuss any concerns you have with others but also, where relevant and appropriate, be prepared to just accept differences of opinions

- Be wary of unhelpful thoughts: with anxiety often comes anxiety provoking and maintaining thoughts. That is, when we’re afraid we think in certain ways that make us more afraid and that excessively prolong our fear

- So, look out, especially, for catastrophising (or making mountains out of molehills), dichotomous thinking (or being too black and white), crystal balling (or predicting the future, especially a negative future, and overgeneralising (or assuming that one small thing is the same as everything)!

- Try to remember that thoughts are just thoughts; these thoughts are not facts. Try to remember, also, that thoughts can be changed and most notably, when our thoughts are unhelpful and/or unrealistic, we can change them to more realistic and more helpful thoughts

- Ask yourself, then, what can I say to myself that will be helpful and constructive and productive and reassuring??

And finally, don’t feel like you have to do it all on your own: there’s no doubt that if you’re anxious, others will be too. So, talk to your colleagues and talk to your manager and share positive ideas that might help others, as well as yourself. If necessary, I’m sure many of you will also have workplace supports available, like Employee Assistance Programs, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help and to access these services.?

In my lifetime, I’ve never seen anything like what we’ve seen since the start of 2020. So we’re all flying a bit blind here. But what I have seen is many people overcome or better manage anxiety in a range of settings. And returning to the office post Covid restrictions should be no different. I’m confident, therefore, that these strategies will work for most of you reading this. And I’m confident, also, that many of you overcome any anxiety you have about returning to the office and regain the confidence, and even the sense of fun, most of you had previously.?

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