For all of us, the past few months have been hectic in every sense of the word. This is all understandable, though, and frankly, we would have been more surprised if they weren’t, given that we have been living under a pandemic.
This ongoing pandemic has left no area of our lives unaffected either and that includes work too. However, after a long period of working from home, life is now ready to pick back up right where it left off and that means, among other things, that a considerable amount of people will be going back to working from the office.
And for those unfortunate few, we’ve cooked up this how-to guide just for the sole purpose of helping you survive the office again.
Don’t forgo your sanitary precautions
As it stands, we’re still going through a global health crisis and although we’re slowly returning to our social and work lives, we cannot forget all those safety measures we learned while self-isolating at home.
In fact, in this situation, you should maximize your sanitary measures. Whenever you go to the office, make sure you have spare face-masks, just in case, as well as alcohol spray, wipes, gloves, and hand-sanitizers.
Make sure your workstation is thoroughly cleaned and then sanitize it yourself for good measure. It’s always better to be extra safe than sorry.
Keep yourself busy at all times
Naturally, the best way to take your mind off the current social climate as well as being extra efficient is by keeping yourself occupied. When you do so, time will literally fly by without you noticing and you’ll find yourself acclimating faster.
The key to this tip is to have a structured work timetable to making the most of your working hours. This table, of course, will only work if you’re aware of what works for you and your tasks.
Don’t skip meals
When it comes to office work, a lot of us tend to fall into the trap of skipping meals or even half-eating them so we could goof off during the rest of the break.
Doing this, however, is harmful because it will cost you a lot of energy and it only end up impacting both you and your level of productivity negatively.
Take periodic walks during the day
Even during the regular work-from-home days, staying out at your workstation for the entire workday would have taken take a toll on both your body and soul. To combat this at the office, you’ll need to take momentary ten-minute breaks and step away from your computer and/or paperwork to take short walks around your office area.
This will not only help refresh your mind but it will get your blood flowing and your tensions eased. Just make sure you take your safety measures.
Make your voice heard
Communication, as many people have repeated, is key and this is particularly true when it comes to work. You’re always supposed to be bold and make your voice heard, but this is especially important right now.
If you have suggestions on how to improve the workplace to comply with pandemic-events or if you understandably have certain anxieties about the current working climate, you have to speak up.
Increase your hydration
In the same vein of not forgoing meals, you will also need to not forgo something even more important. Hydration. Sure, you don’t forget to hydrate through coffee and tea and other hot beverages but you cannot substitute them for water.
A lack of hydration will affect important factors like your attention span, general energy levels, and productivity, which won’t bode well for any working person. Remind yourself to hydrate every twenty minutes or so and you’ll be good for the day.
Go for a test-run before you go back for good
Going back to the office, if you’re still pondering the step, might seem overwhelming for a lot of reasons. Your office is going to feel like a brand-new space and you might actually have some trouble adapting back to the old system.
To avoid this, talk with your supervisor about possibly going to work only once a week from the office before you go back for good. Sort of a test-run of sorts to see how much you’ll need to adapt as well as rework your home-to-work schedule to incorporate the office again.
Set up new boundaries
Falling under the adapting stage as well, you’ll need to set up new boundaries and ensure them being followed, too. This won’t be anything unusual, if you already have personal boundaries set up. All you have to do is add new rules that ensure your—and others’—safeties.
Remind yourself and others to forego handshakes and add distance between your workstations. Remind other coworkers about protective equipment and regular sanitization as well as temperature checks for both staff and any office visitors.
Prioritize your health
Going back to working from the office will mean you’ll have to exit the comfort of your safety bubble at home. Even with all your precautions and safety guidelines, you still run some risk at getting sick.
Among other reasons, this is why you should make your own health a priority. When you are not feeling well or you have an inkling that you were in close-contact with a Corona patient, talk to your boss and isolate yourself for fourteen days until you have the all-clear.
