Do These Five Things Before Returning to the Office After Remote Work
After more than two years of remote work, millions of Americans will soon return to the office as companies go back to “business as usual” and mandate that employees return to the physical workplace. While the change is well received by some, others are hesitant about how their health, productivity, and emotional wellbeing will be impacted.
Connect with your colleagues
Change can be hard, but going through it with peers experiencing similar concerns can help ease the tension. Before the transition, reach out to team members who you feel comfortable confiding in and express your apprehensions about the shift. While these conversations might not change the upcoming plans, they can at least give you some outside perspective and help you see things from a new angle.
Set realistic expectations
One of the biggest lessons that came from remote work has been the immense increase in productivity. Before the pandemic, many considered working from home as an excuse to fool around and hang out all day. Instead, most employees saw a drastic boost in productivity, much of it having to do with the decline of meetings, side conversations, and constant interruptions from co-workers.
If you were one of the many employees who experienced an increase in productivity while working from home, it’s important to set realistic expectations and recognize that it will likely no longer be the case. A return to the office also means returning to a busy, loud, and sometimes inconsiderate setting. Be prepared for your productivity to take a hit.
Change can be scary. It often pushes us out of our comfort zone and leads us down a path to the unknown. That’s why it’s so important to give yourself grace during these difficult times. Sure, you’ve worked from an office before, but never under these circumstances. Remember to be kind to yourself and those around you during this period.
Set boundaries
Although we all lived through the pandemic, we all experienced it in different ways. While some of us feel comfortable returning to a shared workplace, others share health concerns brought on by COVID-19 and all its variants. Only you understand your comfort levels, so set boundaries around them and share those boundaries with those around you. If you’re not comfortable eating lunch in an enclosed space, speak up. Your peers are likely more understanding than you give them credit for.
Practice self-awareness
Trusting our gut is one of our most overlooked skills as humans. We often think we’re crazy for feeling or thinking a certain way, and we’re not. Those instincts are up to something. They’re trying to make you aware of what’s around you. As you prepare for your return to the office, don’t forget to practice self-awareness. If you feel something, you don’t have to internalize it. Speak up, or at the very least, write it down.
How are you preparing for your return to the office?
