Top Tips For Returning To Work After Working From Home
So the time is coming to start getting back to normality, people will be soon going back to the office and life will start to feel normal again. The office has now had its specialist cleaning service around to decontaminate everywhere and the office is ready to be used again, but are you? Here are some helpful tips to start getting used to going back to the office and preparing in plenty of time.
Start Waking Up Earlier:
The best part about working from home is not having a commute every day to the office. Some use that extra time for exercise but many also like to press the sleep button on the alarm and have another 30 mins in bed. If this is you, then it may be time to start waking up earlier to ease back into a routine. Starting the transition earlier will give you more time to ease into the old routine which you will thank yourself later on.
Prepare Your Things The Night Before:
This is another obvious, but fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It is a great idea to have everything ready the night before as you will be away from home all day. Have your lunch prepared if you take it to work as well as getting your morning coffee ready to go. This is a quick and easy way to save you time in the morning
Focus On Your Mental Health:
With the horror stories behind COVID-19, it can be daunting when going back to the office and even more daunting if you work in a large city. Many people will have a build-up of anxiety which needs to be taken into consideration and watched. It may help to talk to your manager at work as they may be able to help you in a number of ways.
Mismanaged anxiety can lead to several problems physically and mentally and with your relationships so it is best to get anxiety under control. This can be done by going to speak to a doctor and they will help you set up a strategy to help with this.
Get Mindful & Rehearse The Return:
Mindfulness exercises are a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, the practice has seen a large rise in recent years and especially during the lockdown. The benefits of mindfulness also include improved general health, higher feelings of wellbeing and reduced depressive symptoms which are all needed for a happy return to the office.
A good way to do this would be by spending 10 minutes a day just meditating. In this time you can mentally rehearse how your Monday to Friday looks like, how you are going to look and feel, remember good times in the office etc. These will all help to build a positive attitude towards returning to the office.
Review Safety Protocols For the Return
With everyone all eventually going back to the office, people will start to feel some normality. This doesn’t mean that COVID has disappeared, it is still here and it is still dangerous so make sure that a mask and relevant PPE is available. Offices and other workplaces have had to put things in place for the return so we can all work safely again. If you haven’t already had anything to inform you of the new policies then it may be worth asking your manager so that you can prepare.
