Preparing your mind for a return to the workplace

The return to the office is a topic that is currently occupying many people’s minds and conversations, along with all the other uncertainties of these times.

If you worked in an office pre-pandemic, you will of course, be familiar with what office life is all about. But we all know it will be different going back. The environment both in and outside of our offices will have changed considerably since we left it all those many months ago. It’s not surprising that many of us are feeling a little anxious.

Be prepared for changes. Inside the office, there will be a whole set of new health and safety rules to get our heads round, what we can and cannot do, where we work, and how we are allowed to meet and interact. Outside the office, be prepared for a changed landscape with the disappearance of many of our favourite watering holes, go-to lunch stops, and handy amenity stores. Whilst we were all banished to working from home, many of the trusted businesses that thrived on us being around during the working day have been forced to shut, as there’s simply been no customers around to serve!

Creating new habits

As we change our routine, we will shortly have to create new habits and adapt to a very different environment to the home working set up we have become accustomed to over these many months of lockdown.

There will of course be some great positives, like spending less time on Zoom and having real people interactions. However, for some of us, the change back to the office environment after working from home for so long maybe a jolt to the system.

Nurturing a flexible mindset

If you find yourself feeling anxious and getting a bit ‘stuck’ about the whole return to the office issue, try and support yourself by developing techniques for nurturing a flexible mindset.

Nurturing flexibility in the way you think, is known to be one of the key ‘pillars’ in building personal resilience. Being a flexible thinker enables you to be more positive and creative towards navigating any difficulties you feel you have to face, regarding working back in the office.

Connect to your Inner Courage

For many, fear has been a dominant emotion since the start of the pandemic.  Fear can hijack the mind, preventing us from thinking clearly and evaluating risks in a balanced way.  When we are anxious, we might focus exclusively on threats and blow them out of proportion. The fear we experience may become a source of suffering and distress in itself.

If you feel fearful, try to analyse the risks you face in a calm, clear, and logical way, and ensure that you aren’t confusing justified dangers with less significant concerns.

To help relax and calm you, try deep-breathing techniques whenever you feel your fears arising. Breathing exercises have been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety and, if practiced regularly, will help your mental and physical wellbeing. Once you become aware of how to harness the power of your breath through simple exercises, you will be able to call on it as an invaluable ‘go to’ tool that you can use anywhere as part of your stress and anxiety relieving armoury.

Focus on the positives of returning to the workplace

To support your mindset, try and focus on considering all the things that you do want and what you are looking forward to about returning to the workplace. Focusing on the positives over this transitional period, such as more freedom, a good return to the office and reconnecting with your colleagues in-person, will help you navigate through these times of change.

It is likely that there will be some good things about going back to the office that you have not yet considered. Safety guidelines will be in place to help protect you and make sure you can work successfully. Public transport will be cleaned more regularly and extended to accommodate socially distanced seating, and for many there will be more flexibility for commuting times.

Many of your colleagues may share your reservations around returning to the office; you will not be alone if you are feeling anxious. Connecting positively with your co-workers about emotional challenges can bring a sense of camaraderie and boost the emotions of yourself and others.

Be mindful of how you have changed over this year away, and reflect that your colleagues may also have changed.

Over a year has passed since the pandemic began. Changes to the way you perceive your life and the world around you are to be expected and it’s important to reflect on this. Perhaps this year away from the office has made you more tolerant of ‘what is’, more grateful of what you have, more accepting of uncertainty, and more aware of your surroundings? Whatever the changes in you are, be mindful of them.

Your colleagues will have experienced a completely different set of personal circumstances that will be unique to them. Reflecting on your own experiences, and sharing these, can be a meaningful and supportive way of re-connecting with colleagues.

Be kind to yourself and give yourself time to adapt to the new routine

When feeling anxious and unsure, nurturing self-compassion is very important.

We are creatures of habit and any modification to one’s lifestyle or routine is a stress to the system. Returning to the workplace will undoubtedly be challenging for many, as the prospect will jumpstart anxiety in our thinking process as we are alerted to possible risks ahead.

You can take practical steps to make the situation less demanding, such as giving yourself sufficient time to readjust to commuting or arranging an informal visit before your first day back. While going through the transition, try to accept any unfamiliar emotions, and prioritise being kind to yourself. Ideas of self-care are often viewed as self-indulgent, but caring for your body and mind is one of the best ways to eliminate any anxieties you may be experiencing.

Praise yourself

Not to be confused with self-kindness, self-praise can be a great strategy to help manage stress levels through any times of transition.
People are often overcritical of themselves and focus on achievements rather than efforts. It is important to recognise the effort you have put in, and that success is rarely all or nothing.

Try to develop a mindset of being positive to yourself as you would be to a valued colleague or someone you care deeply about? Instead of punishing yourself for not having fully and quickly achieved a goal, change this thinking into congratulating yourself for your effort, just as you might praise the attempts of a close friend. Try and practice this new way of thinking every time an opportunity presents.

Try to employ non-judgemental listening and acceptance of others’ views

Everyone will have varying levels of comfort with the return to office life. This may extend to your friends and family, as well as your co-workers. Without meaning to, we might unintentionally judge people who see things differently from ourselves.

Some people may want to adhere to the guidance more than others. Sensitively discussing these differences can be very helpful. Try to avoid being judgemental and recognise that not everybody feels the same; be aware that these conversations might be difficult for some people.