Going back to office 5-days a week challenging for some – Here’s how to ease into to the new normal

• For many, the shift from the comfort and flexibility of working from home to the structured routine of office life can seem challenging to deal with initially.
• Going to the office lets you meet and interact with people, which has social utility.
• A few days before joining the office, one should start their morning routine as will be needed.

Bangalore-based Anirabn Chatterjee, working for an IT firm has recently been asked to go back to the office five days a week. Since last November, he has been going to the office two or three days a week, a hybrid mode of work, which he rather enjoyed, but that is over now.

Recently large IT companies like TCS, Wipro and others have asked employees to start going to the office five days a week. The culture of work from home, or hybrid work where one had to go to the office 2-3 times a week is now coming wrapping up. These work cultures were born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic and many workplaces kept on with them after the lockdown restrictions were lifted.d

Many employees have been reluctant to go back to the office five days a week and companies have been going slow on calling them back. “The concept of work from home (WFH) or remote work has only gained momentum since the pandemic. However, major corporations are now urging their workforce to report to the office physically and more regularly,” says Anjali Raghuvanshi, Chief People Officer, Randstad India, an HR services firm.

The challenges of going back to office

“Some may welcome change, craving for the social interaction and the structured routine of the office environment,” says Vandana Ahuja, Organisational HR Adviser & ICF Coach.

However, for many, the shift from the comfort and flexibility of working from home to the structured routine of office life can seem challenging to deal with initially, as it mandates a shift in daily routines, work habits, and work-life dynamics. Here are some issues people are likely to face.

Commute agony

: In any metro city, commuting can take up to three hours or more daily, and this is certainly not good news for those who need to go back to the office. It means getting up earlier, starting from home early and also evenings spent stuck in traffic. For Chatterjee, the daily commute is about two hours and he does not fancy doing it five days a week.

Social anxiety: Following an extended period of remote work, many individuals are finding it challenging to readjust to a structured work environment. “There could be a level of social anxiety. Especially for the newer workforce who have had the perks of working remotely from the beginning of their careers, it might be a tad more difficult to accommodate themselves into a more disciplined office routine,” says Ahuja.

Feelings of irritability during interactions with colleagues, a sense of lethargy, diminished concentration, and difficulties in socialising have become prevalent issues.

“Social anxiety has a negative impact on people’s performance and in serious situations can even lead to quitting. In some other people, body image-related problems also arise, where people start finding their body less attractive, due to which problems like low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders can be seen,” says Arvind Otta, senior psychologist and mental health activist.

Lower work flexibility: For many, work from the office can also affect their productivity or at least they think that it does. “For many, remote work offered increased autonomy, and the ability to tailor their work environment to their preferences,” says Raghuvanshi.

The impact is more on parents with kids and especially women, to whom work from home was a blessing in disguise as they could spend more time with their kids or do tasks like dropping or picking them up from school more easily.

However, working from the office is the new normal, something that one cannot wish away. It might take some of us a bit of time to get adjusted, but adapting to the new way of life should be pretty easy. Here are a few ways to make the transition smoother

Look at the bright side

: Going back to the office again might seem cumbersome, but one needs to look at the bright side. Going to the office lets you meet people, lets you interact with your colleagues and your boss and also lets you showcase your work much better to your immediate boss. Overall, it is a great thing, careerwise.

Get into a routine

: Going back to the office is just a matter of habit . “Individually, a person should repeatedly tell himself a few days in advance that from the particular day onwards he will have to work in the office only, due to which the idea of working from the office will also be included in his thought process,” says Otta.

He suggests that a few days before joining the office, one should wake up at a fixed time and start settling into the daily routine. Three things should be specifically followed a few weeks before joining the office: sleeping at a fixed time, eating breakfast and exercising or yoga.

Make the commute more productive: Since the commute takes up a lot of time, one should look to make the commute more productive. Shabbir Merchant, Chief Value Creator, Valulead Consulting, a leadership development consulting firm, suggests that one catches up on reading and especially listens to audio audiobooks when one is travelling by public transport or driving. One can also listen to music or catch up on breathing exercises that can be done from anywhere. However, social media is to be avoided as much as possible.

Flaunt your office wardrobe: During the pandemic many of us have complained that we seldom got a chance to wear some of the clothes that we have bought. “Flaunt your office wardrobe and feel good about the clothes that you have,’ says Merchant. Looking and feeling good can do wonders to your mood.

The tiring commute notwithstanding, after months of zoom calls in pyjamas, going back to the office can be a great thing. From meeting colleagues, to brainstorming together over cups of coffee, the new normal can be an adventure to look forward.