After two years of remote working, many companies are bringing their employees back into the office once again. While some employers are bringing their entire workforce back into the office on a full-time basis, others are employing a hybrid model, allowing employees to split their time between working from home and working in the office. Regardless of which approach your employer is taking, going back after such as long hiatus will naturally take some getting used to and it’s important that you are ready to deal with this change.
Although many employees struggled with the work-from-home model in the beginning, most embraced this new way of working. Working from home for more than two years led to many people having more time on their hands than they ever thought possible. Countless employees reported an improved work-life balance, feeling happier and being more productive in their roles.
However, now that things are returning to some sense of normality in this post-COVID era, the time has come to get back to the office. As much as it was strange getting used to remote working, it will be equally strange for many employees making the move back to working alongside their colleagues in a brick and mortar location. However, with the right approach, you can ensure that the change is as seamless as possible, and soon commuting to the office for work every day will feel completely normal once more.
Get back into the office more easily
Let’s take a look at some useful tips to help you to readjust to working in an office again.
Be Organised And Ready
Most people who have been working from home since the pandemic kicked off have been able to take a more relaxed approach to prepare for work. From how you dress to preparing your meals to organising what you need to bring with you to the office, a lot of your general preparations have been unnecessary while working from home.
Now that you will be working in the office again, you need to ensure that you are properly presented and that you have everything that you need when you return to the office. Perhaps you need to iron your business shirts so you look your best? You might need to start preparing your lunch the night before once more. Or, you may need to find childcare solutions, now that you won’t be working from home anymore. Whatever you need to do, make sure that you get it organised in advance so you are ready to transition back to working in the office when the time comes.
Establish A New Routine
A lot will have changed in your life since you moved to a remote working setup. You might have started a new exercise program, perhaps you started making time to meditate during the lockdowns, your family may have grown or maybe you have been setting your alarm to go off a little later in the morning, choosing to sleep through the time you would normally commute. Whatever your personal situation might be, now that you are making the switch back to working in the office, you will need to ensure that you establish a routine that will work moving forward. This might take a little trial and error in the beginning but with time, you can be sure that you will find a solution that works for you.
Take A Compassionate Approach
When you return to the office, it’s important to remember that this is a period of change for everyone else too. Showing some compassion for your colleagues, being patient and showing some understanding will help to make the switch back to the office environment much easier. Some of your colleagues may have lost a family member or a loved one to COVID, they may have been quite ill with COVID themselves at some stage or they might be particularly anxious about returning to work.
Being understanding and patient with your colleagues is important, especially in the early stages. This is a major readjustment for everyone so make sure that you are there for people when they need you and that you do not make any rash judgments or decisions in the first few months of being back in the office.
Prepare Yourself For Change And Make Sure You Are Ready For The Transition
One thing you can be sure of is that life in the office will not be the same as it was before COVID. Being mentally prepared for this is important and if you have any concerns or worries, it’s crucial that you bring them up with your manager. Taking the time to prepare yourself for the move back to the office will ensure that you are as ready as you possibly can be for the transition back to the physical workplace so you can hit the ground running.
