the familiar unfamiliar feeling of going back to the office
Surely we should be pleased with the easing of the lockdowns and the idea of being reunited with friends for fun and with coworkers in the office. Although counterintuitive, feeling anxious as people begin to return to the workplace is and will be common.
I thought about this when I boarded my plane back to the UK. Everything seemed strangely unfamiliar to me at first because I had not flown for a year. Of course, the flight was eventually uneventful, and I quickly slept through most of it.
We took many things for granted prior to this pandemic. Simple things like eating at a restaurant, a social evening with friends, coffee break chats at work or meetings in a conference room... As the heartbeat of the new normal life returns in the coming weeks and months, we have to quickly adjust to the unfamiliar routines of going back to the office or going out for a night on the town.
The vaccination programs will bring the beginning of the end of the pandemic. And as we go back to the office soon, things will feel strange initially because many companies and businesses will introduce guidelines to ensure we all stay safe and healthy.
The anxiety this may cause some people has been called ‘syndrome de l’escargot’ by the French, the Spanish call it ‘síndrome de la caba?a’, and one can choose from a variety in English, from ‘return’ or ‘re-entry syndrome’, to a more intimidating ‘reverse culture shock’. Whatever the name, feeling anxious as we emerge from the lockdowns to re-enter the workplace and society is real for many.
And while we may have to continue to socially distance and wear masks for a while longer, the familiarity with this unfamiliar feeling of returning to the office will be in fact due to how some people feel when they return to work after taking a vacation or being on a longer maternity/paternity leave. Here are a few tips that can help to manage these feelings:
- Focus mostly on the positives related to returning to the workplace
- Get organized and systematically target what needs to be addressed first
- Engage with coworkers, check on each other and talk about this
- Make sure you hydrate, eat well, exercise and get good quality sleep
- Reward yourself and your team when important tasks are completed
- Remember to take breaks and take time to breathE, breATHE, B R E A T H E...
There will be those who found working remotely a positive experience but equally those others who are beginning to burn out and cannot wait to be back in a more personable face to face environment. Naturally, change disconcerts people and some may feel more anxious and concerned about what changes are coming. Dealing with change was my motivation some time ago to write why I want to continue to confront my comfort and how to retrain our intuition.
I have witnessed more compassion and kindness than before the pandemic and we really need to keep a hold of that and what it has taught us about our shared humanity. We also know that working from home can bring several benefits to personal lives, productivity and efficiency, and potentially to our planet as we reduce our carbon footprint further with less commuting and workplace emissions.
The road to the new normal may be a bumpy one at times, but by staying focused on what we can control; we can remain positive and look forward to an exciting journey ahead.
Readers are welcome to share their insights in the comments section. I thank you in advance.
Best wishes to everyone.