15 months later and it seems the pandemic has finally slowed down enough for things to reopen and seemingly go back to normal. This includes those of us who have been lucky enough to work remotely. While some offices are staying remote full-time, most of us are returning to physical offices, commutes, and set lunch breaks.
Most people I’ve talked to about working in an office again aren’t thrilled. We’ve gotten used to waking up later, working in our sweatpants, and not having to drive in rush hour.
But eventually, it’ll happen, and we’ll have to readjust returning to the office and letting our lives go back to the new, new normal.
THE 5 STAGES OF RETURNING TO THE OFFICE
1. DENIAL
2. PAIN AND DREAD
3. BARGAINING
4. WORKING THROUGH IT
5. ACCEPTANCE
GETTING BACK INTO THE FLOW OF BEING IN-PERSON
How can you readjust to being back in person? Try to remember what life was like in the office before we were all sent home for over a year. We came in, set our belongings down, and made a cup of coffee or tea to start the day. Maybe you had a to-do list for the day, maybe you had meetings in your conference room, or a team project to work on.
DON’T FORGET YOUR ESSENTIAL WORK ITEMS
SET YOUR IN-OFFICE TO-DO LIST FOR THE DAY, WEEK, AND MONTH
GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE TO RE-ADJUST
THE BENEFITS OF BEING BACK IN THE OFFICE
Being physically surrounded by your team and coworkers help with production. Working in your own office space with your knick-knacks and desk setup is the ideal work environment. Having a reason to get out of the house/your everyday environment helps create a line between work and home.
- Being with your team again
- Having more structure
- Coming back refreshed and recharged
- Changing up the scenery every day
- Being back in your own office
- Returning to a normal life post-pandemic
AND THE NEGATIVES
Of course, there are negatives as there are with anything. You’ll have to wake up earlier to leave the personal space you’ve made at home for the last year. No more pajamas unless the company you work for is cool and comfort-minded.
- Sharing a bathroom again
- Waking up early
- Wearing professional clothing; no more pajamas at work
- Giving your pets separation anxiety
CONCLUSION
While some find returning to the office less than ideal, ultimately it is a sign that life is returning to normal and that’s something to be thankful for. We’ll all miss sleeping in, hanging out with our fur babies, and not needing to look presentable, but it’s time to get back to our normal daily lives.
Here at HIPB2B, we’ve been blessed with working remotely twice a week instead of being in-office five days a week. This sort of transition sounds like the most ideal way to get back to life in the office without being a shock to the system.
