Top tips for transitioning back into office life

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After months (and for some, over a year!) Working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the thought of re-entering the world of office life as restrictions are eased may stir up some feelings of anxiety in many of us.

While some people are indeed incredibly excited to return to the office, others are less excited about the prospects of heading back to a standard 9-5 workday.

If you find yourself feeling stressed about returning to the workplace, this is the article for you. Today, we have a look at our top five tips for transitioning back into office life, so read on to find out more!

Even if you are only expected to return to work in a couple of months time, starting the process of adjusting your routine now can really help you transition back into the world of computers, printers and colleagues that is office life.

This may be as simple as sleeping earlier and waking up at the same time every day, eating breakfast and getting your body adjusted to the standard 9-5 workday that may have fallen by the wayside in recent months.

The best advice we have for you is to assess the little changes that may disrupt your flow and how you can adapt to them now rather than waiting till the eleventh hour!

Even though some semblance of normality will return as COVID restrictions ease, it is important that you familiarise yourself with your employer's COVID safe plan.

If your employer has yet to share their plan, do some digging into matters such as physical distancing, cleaning and hygiene matters that you may be expected to follow once you return to the office.

Familiarising yourself with the "new normal" is the best way to ensure that you are well prepared to re-enter the workforce whilst being able to keep yourself and your colleagues as safe as possible.

After spending up to a year working in the comfort of your own home, the prospect of heading back to the office can truly cause a significant amount of fear and worry for many of us.

The best way to cope with this and to prepare yourself for what awaits is to simply re-familiarise yourself with your work surroundings.

One of the best ways to do this is to do a few trial runs of visiting the workplace prior to re-entry and to engage in little activities such as cleaning and organising your desk, stocking the pantry with your favourite snacks and doing anything that will help make your transition as comfortable as possible.

The more you put yourself in a situation you're worried about, the faster you'll realise that there is nothing to fear!

If you haven't seen your fellow colleagues in over a year, a good idea would be to organise a few team-building opportunities before everyone returns to the workplace.

This can be as simple as meeting up for coffee, catching up over drinks or even engaging in a group sport that can help everyone get reintroduced with each other and ready for office life.

These shared activities will help colleagues get back into the routine of engaging with one another and may even be a great opportunity for new team members to get to know each other.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should ensure that you follow local guidelines and restrictions whenever you are organising a meet-up or gathering!

Last but not least, be kind to yourself and remember that it is totally normal to feel anxious or uncertain about transitioning back into office life.

Take note of your feelings, understand them and accept them for what they are. Avoid judging yourself if you are struggling more than you anticipated and be sure to share your thoughts and worries with colleagues and bosses.

We guarantee that you're not the only one experiencing these feelings, and discussing them with like-minded individuals can be the best way to work on overcoming any niggling thoughts and feelings.

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Many of us have had to adjust to a very new form of normal in recent months, and being anxious about returning to the office is completely natural.

We hope that the tips and tricks that we have shared with you today help to ease your worries and make your transition back to the office as smooth as possible. All the best!