If you’ve spent the past few weeks or perhaps months at home working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by now you may have adjusted to your home office life. However, what do you do when you get the clearance to return to the office?
There isn’t much doubt that office environments will be changing as a result of these tumultuous times that we’ve adapted to, but when you get to go back to a semi-normal office lifestyle, what are ways to prepare yourself for the return? Here are 12 Ways to Bounce Back When It’s Time to Return to the Office.
- Re-adjust your sleep schedule as soon as you know you are returning to the office. If your work schedule has changed as a result of working from home, then your sleep schedule has most likely changed as well. You may be able to sleep in now, re-adjusting your sleep schedule now can help to avoid your first few days from being rougher than they need to be. As soon as you know, start going to bed earlier and waking up at your normal time that you would before your commute.
- Plan your first week back as best as you can. Your first week back may be unpredictable. If you haven’t been checking it during the stay at home enforcement, the thought of access your email inbox is probably a heart-sinking feeling. Before heading in, take note of what you need to do when you are first heading back into the office. If you are unsure of where to begin, talk with your co-workers or supervisor to help ease you back into the work week.
- Prep your vehicle to return to the commute. Hopefully you have been sporadically using your car during the long containment, otherwise your car may not start the day you go back. Be sure to test your battery as soon as you get the “green light” to return to work so you are not late on your first day back. Also, fill your tank the day before if you can. There may be a longer than usual line to fill up on the first few days of returning.
- Pack your own personal healthcare kit. Being able to share items with your co-workers may not return for a long while. So be sure to have a “personal healthcare kit” of sorts to keep on you when you are away from home. As much as you may want to want to share, keep these as your own personal stash. Some items to consider:
- Masks
- Hand Sanitizer
- Personal Accessories (Mice, keyboard, etc.)
- Gloves
- Medicine (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, etc.)
- Treat your first day back like it’s your first day on the job. A refreshing outlook can help you adjust going back to semi-normal working conditions. Clean up and dress up like you had just been hired on. This may help clear up your mental outlook heading in and help you handle any additional stress that may come your way.
- Wear your mask and gloves when returning to the office. When you are entering your building, the elevator, stairs and your office door. Be careful on what surroundings you touch. We all have been through a lot of the last few weeks and months, and you may not know what has been disinfected or hasn’t been. Wash your hands before you enter the office.
- Clean and disinfect your entire workspace area immediately. Be sure to clean not only as soon as you go in, but daily for the foreseeable future. Disinfect all accessories and attachments (particularly headsets, keyboards and mice) every day before and after work. It’s going to be tedious for a while, but it’s for your best health and everyone else’s.
- Adapt to being together again while staying apart. Prepare for space beyond social distancing. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to slide into cubicles to chit-chat or have lunch group breaks like before for a while. There is going to be another culture shock, not unlike adapting to working remotely, but in time, things will go back to normal.
- Your coworkers may seem “different” upon returning to normality. Everyone may have been away from their comfortable workspaces and may need more time to adapt. From a safe distance, ask them how they are holding up, even if you’ve been talking while remote. Respect their level of concern with the current situation cause everyone’s experience from the pandemic is different.
- It may take longer to get something out of the kitchen. If you have a communal break room or kitchen, keep in mind your office may have new rules regarding how many people may be in the space. Social distancing is most likely still going to be in effect. It may take longer to brew your morning coffee, so patience could be a virtue here. Your office breakroom may not be used for a while, so keep that in mind.
- It’s a good idea to bring your lunch for a while. A good idea to plan to pack you lunch for a while until you learn about the condition of your surroundings. The places you normally go for lunch around your office normally may not be the same as when you left. They may not even have re-opened yet or may have extended wait times longer than your designated break. Keep in mind you are still at risk of being in contact with others.
- Minimize going places as much as possible. The time for recovery could be unexpected so while you are returning to a semi-normal life, you are not out of the woods yet. Plan to keep remote meetings going through Microsoft Teams or your videoconferencing app of choice for both your co-workers and clients you need to contact.
It may be exciting to many of you to return to the office but do not forget to keep your guard up and be aware of your surroundings during this trying time.
