Anxious about returning to the office? Check out these tips

Returning to an office setting and all that comes with it — bumper-to-bumper commute traffic, frustrating co-workers, left-behind family members at home — is understandably stressful for many whose pandemic-era routines are changing this spring.

Some may be concerned about safety and coronavirus restrictions as offices reopen. Others may be dreading change, after developing systems at home that helped create a more balanced life.

Many jobs have required in-person work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For other people who have been working remotely, returning to an office environment can bring a range of emotions.

“There’s some anger because people have proven over the last couple years that remote working is something that works,” said Andrew Rogers, a licensed mental health counselor based in Seattle and Tacoma. “They can be responsible and get their work done while still working from home, which gives them the opportunity to do things in their life that they didn’t have enough time for otherwise.”

On the other hand, some may be thrilled about seeing co-workers in person, maybe for the first time. Or excited to have a quiet working space away from a house full of people.

The fact that many people may have anxiety or uncertainty about going back to an office shows how much we settled into a world that we never could have imagined before, said Julia Bonnheim, a licensed mental health counselor in Seattle.

“Use the resiliency from the last two years as motivation to keep going, and trust that the next challenge that we face we can get through as well,” Bonnheim said.

The Seattle Times spoke with mental health counselors to get tips on how those of us experiencing anxiety around returning to an in-person office environment can manage stress.

Treat yourself kindly

Practice giving yourself grace and compassion as you reintegrate into a new routine, Rogers said. Recognize that major transitions are hard, and we deserve to be kind to ourselves. In doing so, you can also acknowledge and grieve the loss of your previous routine that you may have created in the last two years.

Focus on what could go right

We often fixate on fears of the unknown and predict the worst possible outcome. We tell ourselves we do this to prepare if the worst happens. But when we ruminate on these problems, we unconsciously tell ourselves that a negative outcome is the only possible option.

The antidote is focusing on what we do have — the benefits of our situation. Rogers recommends his clients use a gratitude journal to train their brain to start seeing positives and focus on things that are going well.

Create predictability

Establish some grounding before your first day by finding a routine that works for you, Rogers said. Think about how you want your day to look from the time you wake up to the time you get to work. By setting up rituals, you can help eliminate uncertainty.

Try building in some physical activity to get your body moving and carve out some reflection time for meditation or setting intention for the day.

— Tribune News Service