Managing Worries When Going Back Into The Office

For a lot of us, the past 18 months and the pandemic we’ve faced has brought about a lot of change - whether that’s a new job, a new company, or a new working environment setting up in the spare room at home. It has felt at times like we’re in a never-ending world of uncertainty and change around the corner, particularly at the moment where many organisations are returning to either a full time or hybrid approach to working in the office.

As we begin this journey returning back to a “new normal” and face more change in our routines and structures, there are going to be naturally some worries and concerns. Therefor I wanted to bring together some practical tools and positive psychological tips to help you manage those worries, focussing on those of you who are facing a new work routine or going back to an office. 

As a reminder, if you’d to talk about any of these tips or tools or anything about wellness, mindset and positive psychology you can schedule a free 20-minute chat with me here.

Try to keep consistency with your home routine

If we’ve learned one thing during the past 18 months, it is there is always an element of uncertainty and unpredictability which can fuel any anxiety and stress. So, if you’re worried about going back into the office try to find ways that you can keep some consistency and incorporate what you like from home. One thing I’ve loved whilst working from home has been getting to create wonderful lunches rather than grabbing a quick takeaway from the canteen. Spending the night before going to the office preparing a lunch that I’d look forward to really helped give my day some familiarity and structure. I also took with me little things that I have at home on my desk again for that familiarity and recognisable set up. That included an essential oil roller, herbal remedy droppers which I use for throat chakra and confidence, and my daily journal. Having those by my laptop made me feel more at ease. Have a think about what your home working set up includes and if there is anything you can take with you to the office!

Set aside some you time

At home it was more than likely that you had a little bit of time in the day to recharge. Even if it was a five-minute breather after closing the laptop lid after a tense meeting. It can be easy for the diary to start getting booked up back-to-back with people wanting to see you face to face, so if you’re nervous at all make sure you put some time into your calendar that can’t be booked. It gives you a chance to go outside, grab a drink, stretch your legs, whatever you need if things get too much or tiring.

Journal on it

Ultimately everyone has experienced the past 18 months in their own way, even those who live together and from the outside have gone though the same difficulties or traumas will have processed those in individual ways. Something you can do to help you process the change that you are now facing is through journaling. Journaling can help you unravel your own thoughts and feelings, allowing yourself to get into flow and pouring out what’s on your mind. By doing so it may help you find clarity on where your worries are coming from, or the specifics that you are concerned about, which will be helpful if you then want to communicate these to others. 

Use affirmations 

A fantastic tool and a personal favourite for times or uncertainty, or when I’m facing fear or anxiety is using affirmations. Try adapting some that talk about being safe, that you are able to adjust to change, or perhaps that this feeling of worry won’t be your reality forever. Feel into what is coming up for you, and what you would like to feel in response, and create a bespoke affirmation to help you feel supported and held during this time.

Meditate

When we feel worried, we often get lost in our own thoughts, fall down a little bit of an internal rabbit hole, and can make situations feel a lot worse than they truly are. Meditation is a great tool to help in these moments for a number of reasons. Not only does it teach us the power of taking a few slow deep breaths to bring us back into the present moment, rather than living in our world of worries, but it also helps ground ourselves to step away from what I like to call our “thought tornados”. You can find a selection of meditations in the wellness coaching space of the GS method, with “A moment of calm in a world of change” being particularly useful for this time!

Written by Laura Holland