Going back to the office and workforce stressing you out? You’re not alone.
Globally, people are slowly returning to a new routine that involves venturing back to the office, so it’s no surprise if there’s a new weight of anxiety and stress you’re feeling. After spending so many months in your own bubble, creating your own new work-from-home routine, you can’t really blame yourself.
To avoid overdoing it and causing yourself too much stress, consider the following top three tips for managing the anxiety of returning to the workforce.
Set aside time to relax
Before the pandemic, you may not have needed much time to decompress after work as it was part of your normal routine. However, as you start to get back into the swing of things, you may find yourself needing more time to relax when you get home from a long day.
Spend time doing something that calms you, like meditation, reading a book, or doing art. If you’re finding it hard to reach a calmer mood, many people recommend supplements that can help you relax, such as Galaxy Treats D8 gummies or CBD.
Ultimately, what’s important is that you’re doing your part to set aside time in your day to relax and reset. Of course, whatever you do is up to your interests, but what’s important is that you kick your feet up.
Nourish your body
What we put into our bodies is what we’ll get out of them. From the foods we eat, to what we drink, to the amount of sleep and rest we get, it’s essential to fill our bodies with the fuel they need to perform well.
This is even more important when we’re undertaking physically or emotionally exhaustive moments in life.
While working from home, you may have developed lazy eating habits (we all did!). But now that you’re finding a different footing in your new routine, it’s important to start correcting any poor habits you have. Start small by setting yourself a bedtime, drinking more water, and eating less processed food. From there, you’ll have the foundation you need to start creating better habits like meal prepping, exercising, and getting a solid 8–9 hours of sleep each night.
The better you treat your body, the easier you’ll find it to handle the anxiety and stress of going back to the office.
Manage Your Schedule Wisely
The snowball effect of returning to work and overbooking your time will naturally happen. It’s crucial to recognise your limits early and book your schedule with those limits in mind.
Not only will this allow you to control the ups and downs of your daily routine, but it will allow you to pace yourself as you get back into the flow of a 9–5 job. Combine meetings where possible, say no to meetings that can be resolved with emails, and make use of some of the lockdown perks like virtual meetings.
Ultimately, if you’re finding it to be too much, speak with your manager. It may be that you need to slowly return to the office instead of diving head first into working Monday to Friday as you’d previously done.
Takeaway
When the time comes for you to go back to the office, patience is key – patience with yourself, your team, and your job will pay off as you start to feel less anxious and stressed.
You will find that by giving yourself the time you need, your productivity and work stamina will grow substantially. By investing in your mental and physical health first, you’ll return to work with a new flow.
Robert Haynes did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health and well-being.
