8 Easy Ways to Reduce Back-to-Office Stress and Anxiety
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Loading... - Liam Walsh
- 30 May 2022
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While remote work during the pandemic has its own challenges, now that many people are back in the office in some capacity, they are finding it more stressful and anxiety-triggering than they anticipated.
According to a study by McKinsey, 1 in 3 employees say that returning to work has had a negative impact on their mental health, making them anxious and depressed.
Social anxiety may be a core reason a lot of people are nervous about going back into the office, said Naomi Torres-Mackie, PhD, clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and head of research at the Mental Health Coalition.
“Connecting over Zoom is very different from connecting in person, and two years into the pandemic, we are all a bit rusty when it comes to our social skills,” she told Healthline.
Lingering COVID-19 anxiety and fear of getting sick is also partially to blame.
“With the guidelines and situation changing daily, it can be difficult to feel secure that the pandemic is stable enough to be safe to return to in-person work,” said Torres-Mackie.
Plus, change itself is never easy. For instance, pre-pandemic most people were used to leaving home and going in to their workplace. However, the pandemic forced many workers to adjust to remote work. And now, returning to the office is yet another adjustment.
“Even positive adjustments can be difficult. There is psychological comfort in routine, and when a routine becomes upended, it can trigger anxious cognitions, feelings of worry and unease, and low mood,” Torres-Mackie said.
Additionally, returning to a negative work environment can trigger stress, said Natasha Bowman, JD, founder of the Bowman Foundation for Workplace Equity and Mental Wellness.
“While working from home, many have considered a ‘safe’ place free from office politics, microaggressions, toxic work cultures, and the pressure to conform to ‘corporate culture,’” Bowman told Healthline.
If heading back into the office is causing you stress, consider the following tips from health experts to help ease your return.
Accept your anxiety
Because anxiety tends to get worse when you resist it or judge yourself for having it, Torres-Mackie said accepting your feelings can help process them.
“If you can accept that you’re having difficult feelings and normalize them for yourself — many people are finding it stressful to go back to the office — then you’ll likely find that the difficult feelings start decreasing in intensity and frequency,” she said.
Natalie Christine Dattilo, PhD, clinical health psychologist, agreed. She said it’s best to resist the urge to assume something is wrong with you if you feel anxious, apprehensive, or nervous.
When thoughts like, “It shouldn’t be this hard,” “why do others seem to be doing okay?” or “what’s wrong with me?” come to mind, she said practice the following re-statements:
I wish this were easier, but for now it’s still a struggle and I’m getting better every day.
There’s nothing wrong with me, it’s normal to struggle during these not-normal times.
Although it may appear others are doing better than I am, I don’t know that for sure.
Honestly, everyone is just doing the best they can, including me.
Gradually expose yourself to in-office work
If you’re given a choice as to how much you work in the office, consider starting with a few days a week and add on more days as you adjust.
“Fear is best extinguished with slow, small steps towards doing the thing that most scares you. You might do this by going in just for a few hours a day for a while or by doing a test run on a non-workday of going to the office,” said Torres-Mackie.
Establish a routine
While you ease back into onsite work, try to be consistent. For instance, Bowman said decide what days and times you’ll be in the office, and plan your work around that.
“Having a set routine can help reduce stress and make the transition back to the office easier,” she said.
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Create a task list
Take some time when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed to make a to-do list of tasks and deadlines.
“Staying organized and on top of things will help mitigate feelings of stress and overwhelm during this adjustment period. This will also help you prioritize your time and effort as you recalibrate,” said Dattilo. Read More...
