DO YOU HAVE IT TOO? THE RISE OF BACK-TO-OFFICE ANXIETY
Terrified of facing the commute — and your colleagues — again? And what should you wear? You’re not alone, says Katie Strick
IT’S like the first day of school again, except there’s no gold star for arriving on time or remembering your gym kit. Office doors are (slowly) creaking back open and as Londoners dust off their Oyster cards, many of those back-to-work anxieties will feel familiar. How will I cope with the early alarm? Who will I sit with for lunch? How will I survive a full day in clothes that aren’t sports kit?
Thankfully, you’re not alone if you’ve got that start-of-term feeling. Bupa Health Clinics found in July that 65 per cent of us were anxious about returning to the office — and that’s before we returned to another six months of communicating through Slack emojis.
Anxiety UK says 67 per cent of those surveyed felt uneasy about the lifting of restrictions. The good news is the next few weeks are about taking baby steps. Government guidance is still to work from home if you can, and even if you must go in, most companies are testing the water with a couple of days a week. About 15 per cent of JP Morgan’s staff came into the office in the first week of April and Goldman Sachs expects attendance to rise to about 20 per cent within the next month.
From keeping up that lunchtime run to minimising the unknowns ahead of day one, this is your guide to getting office-ready.
Admit anxiety
Remember when you’d never heard of Slack and still found your flatmate’s work voice entertaining? It’s been 12 months since then — no wonder the idea of the office feels as alien as Zoom did, says Alex Frenkel, a psychologist and co-founder of AI mental health app Kai. So how can you tackle that pre-office apprehension? Let your guard down and admit it, says positive psychology coach Ruth Cooper-Dickson. Start a conversation on Slack ahead of the big day — the upside of the pandemic is better conversations about mental health — while psychologist Cheryl Isaacs recommends using it as a talking point on day one. “If you find the social interaction overwhelming, try making light of it and say you’ve been indoors for too long,” she says. The real question isn’t whether to admit it, but who admits it first.
Communicate
Performance coach Daniella Grieveson
likes to remember a quote by Gallup chief executive Jim Clifton when she’s thinking about employee mental health: “Your manager has more impact on your health than your doctor”. Thankfully, workplace wellbeing is at the top of agendas and any boss will struggle to make a case for going back full-time — the last year has proved that WFH can be just as effective as the office.
The key to positive conversations about the big re-entry? Communicating your feelings, according to Paralympian Liz Johnson, who says her disability has taught her many lessons about how individual needs vary. Her main advice: learn to say no politely and don’t be afraid to change your mind if you decide going back to the office isn’t right. “The most important thing isn’t where you work, but the work that you get done when you’re there”.
Minimise unknowns
For best-selling author and courage expert Dr Margie Warrell, it’s all about minimising the unknowns going into day one. If you’re unsure about the office protocol on social distancing, ask your boss. If you’ve moved house since you last commuted, try out your new route. “The anticipation of what it’s going to be like can cause more stress than your actual experience of it,” Warrell told Forbes last month.
Go easy at the water-cooler
Taylor Swift’s replica of Fearless and staycation plans should get you through those first few water-cooler moments, but how to keep up a full day of desk chatter? First, you don’t have to. When the buzz of seeing colleagues calms down, you’ll probably find everyone will welcome a bit of quiet after a year alone in their kitchens. Of course, you and your desk-mate will be excited to reboot your daily Pret run, but it’s also okay to admit to wanting to take the odd walk on your own. If you do find yourself struggling for conversation, three golden rules: Netflix and meal kits are no longer sparky subjects, approach vaccine passports with caution, and don’t ask anyone how their general lockdown has been. Instead, look forward and start planning that first team trip to the pub.
Embrace the good bits
Feeling grateful for awkward lift chatter and communal kettles might sound basic, but gratitude journalling works just as well in workplace scenarios as it does in our personal lives, says Frenkel. It might not feel like it when you’re Zooming from your garden, but there are many things to look forward to about the office. Two screens! Free coffee! And crucially: the ability to chat freely without the clunkiness of someone being on mute.
To embrace these golden moments, try writing a list on your phone of the things you’re looking forward to. Business coach Noor Hibbert calls it “marinating your day” — starting your morning by announcing what you’re grateful for — while life coach Selina Barker suggests writing down five things you’re grateful for after each week in the office. “It’ll train your brain to look for the positives in life,” she explains.
Try interval training
Evenings are filling up fast, so don’t jump straight into a five-day week in the office, too. If you must go back, go slowly, says Cooper-Dickson. The next few months will be an experimentation period. Try a day a week at first, then two, and talk to the team about testing different days to determine which feel best (and minimise commuting on a hangover).
Find your triggers
To address your reaction to stress, work out your triggers and “make friends with them”, says Frenkel. Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are used by his app, Kai. You can message Kai’s chatbot on WhatsApp and daily use has been proven to boost users’ happiness by 17 per cent in the first 20 days.
Hold onto your healthy habits
Some new habits will take a backseat as you readjust to commuting and rule-ofsix-ing, so psychologist Cheryl Isaacs suggests writing a list of your priority habits (the lunchtime walk, Tuesday yoga, no booze until Wednesday) and those you’re happy to ease off on or adapt. That morning smoothie? Make it the night before. That mid-afternoon yoga break? Swap it for conscious breathing at your desk. Stressed about a social life replacing your evening exercise? Capitalise on the commute and cycle to the office.
Spring-clean your work-drobe
The secret to solving your how-will-Icope-without-leggings anxiety is simple: finding workwear heroes that are equally comfy (for starters: no jeans).
AI fashion service delivers five-item bundles so just tell your stylist your need for elasticated waistbands and it will do the hard work for you, and the good news on the underwear front is underwire is old news. Fashion’s answer to post-pandemic lingerie is a new wave of non-wired, cotton bras that are comfy enough for a full day in the office and pretty enough for that pub date.