The lifting of lockdowns has created space for us to think about the impact of the last year. This Mental Health Awareness Week, curatd. - along with our friends and peers - takes some time to reflect on the lessons learnt and challenges yet to be faced in the world of home and blended working.
No one thought last March that when they left their offices under lockdown measures, they might not see them again for over a year. Now that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, a return - at least for some of the time - seems imminent and, though it might be an exciting prospect for some, many of us will be feeling some degree of anxiety. Even if that worry isn’t COVID-related, worries that routines or work relationships might not feel the same or that stress might become unmanageable again, can feel profound.
If you’re feeling apprehensive about returning to your place of work, Alice Davies - curatd. and The Furniture Practice’s Marketing Coordinator - has some strategies to set you up for as positive an experience as possible:
Start slowly
“Re-introduce yourself with one day a week to start with, and gradually build to your ideal blended working balance. We’re all so used to our new working from home routines that easing yourself in slowly will be less taxing on your mental health than jumping into a whole new routine every day.”
Pick the best days for you
“Pick the days that suit your work and personal schedule. Do you have a meeting packed day that you’d rather not do entirely on screen? Are their colleagues going in that you can catch up with? Think about which days you’d benefit most from being in the office or at home.
Give it time
“Once you get used to the printer noise, people chatting by the coffee machine, the tapping of 50 keyboards and all the other distractions that come with working in the office, you’ll start to remember that it can actually be a wonderful place, whether you are back one or five days a week. Listening to ‘coffee shop’ or ‘office’ sound effects at home can help you reintegrate with this.”
We’re all in this together
“Accept that social skills for some might be a bit rusty and so the small talk might be awkward to start with. The feeling of dread that comes when you once again have to answer the dreaded, ‘So, what have you been up to?’ question will soon fade into a distant memory.”
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s mental health, or are simply looking for ways to boost it, head to MentalHealth.org.uk for a whole host of inspiration and resources.
Want to know how curatd. can help you and your business? Drop us a line here.
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