As the UK Covid vaccination programme is being rolled out and restrictions are lifted, many of us are starting to think about going back to offices. Organisations have put a lot of effort into making our workplace Covid safe and we may have options to adopt a more flexible working approach with a hybrid working from home/being in the office split. It will be great to have the option to socialise with colleagues and have occasional meetings with people in real life. So why do I feel so scared? 

We have lived through a unique time for our generation - we were thrown into Covid restrictions over a very short period and have been on an emotional roller coaster ever since.

We’ve had to adapt to circumstances constantly - not being able to see family and friends, plans being made and cancelled, watching the dreaded statistics on the news and knowing that people in hospitals all over the world are fighting for their lives. We have been adapting for over a year - it’s no wonder we’re exhausted.

So you could be forgiven if you don’t jump for joy when you get that email from your boss saying that the offices will open, can’t wait to get everyone back! And perhaps some of your colleagues can’t wait, and that’s great for them.

It’s also OK to feel nervous, anxious or scared about returning to the office. Because it’s not just the office is it? It’s the commute, the time, facemasks, rushing, people, traffic, money, parking - my head is spinning!

Whatever you focus your thoughts on will affect your emotional state - you can literally make yourself sick if you focus on feeling sick. Your thoughts aren’t facts just because they’re in your head - ask yourself ‘what is the evidence for this’? And then ‘what would be a more helpful way to think about this’? 

Take this in the context of returning to the office. You may think ‘I will feel stressed about the journey’. What is your evidence for feeling stressed on the journey? And perhaps a more helpful way to think about it could be ‘the trains are less busy a little later, I could catch a different train for the first few trips’.

Think back over the last 14 months and consider what you have missed while you’ve been slaving away on video calls from a dodgy chair in the kitchen. What were the things you wished you could switch? Having a chat with Dave by the coffee machine? Sitting at a proper desk? Reading a book on the daily commute?

Whatever it is, write it down - this is what you can look forward to again soon.

Whatever you’re thinking and feeling, chances are that many others feel the same, or similar. Try opening up to your leader or colleagues, often just saying things out loud makes a difference. Inner thoughts can feel amplified when kept inside, and when they’re let out they sort of fizzle away.

The default approach for many people is to focus on the problems - I can’t... what if... it’s hard,,. And when we think this way we funnel our thoughts into a negative spiral and can lose perspective. Stop the negative train of thought and reframe by saying - I can if… when, then… it can work…

Don’t expect things to be easy at first. Change is hard and we’re drained from adapting. So take things slowly and be realistic about what you can achieve. And it’s probably OK to change your plans - communicate with your leader and your team so they know you find the changes a little hard.

And consider this - perhaps this is your chance to shape a better future? 

If you’re worried about going back to the ‘new normal’ and want some help with resilience and coping strategies, I’d be delighted to help.