“Talk to your supervisor and see if you can start by maybe returning to the office for a day or two a week to start,” he suggests. Sacco recommends looking for flexibility in your work schedule to see if you can make a slower return to the office. With the virus still circulating and another round of adjustment on deck, some are experiencing a rise in anxiety.ĭr. But as case rates stabilize across the country and vaccination rates increase, some are returning to in-person work for the first time in two years. How can I manage anxiety over returning to in-person work?įor many, the pandemic ushered in a new era of working from home. It’s all about doing what’s best for you and your family. He adds, “While we go through this experience to see what we’re calling ‘the new normal’ looks like, you should work at your own pace.” In other words, if you find yourself out and about and seeing people not wearing masks in crowded areas, that doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. “You need to cut yourself some slack because this is still going to take a little time to see what this is all going to look like.” It’s important to remember that it’s taken us two long years just to get to this point, says Dr. But states and cities are now rolling back mask mandates and social distancing is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Masks and standing six feet from one another have been two of the most consistent parameters of protecting ourselves from spreading COVID-19. Take care of yourself and be confident in what you’re doing to take care of yourself.” How should I approach fewer masks and less social distancing? And remember that everything is not going to be OK just because you say. “Make sure you’ve received both your flu shot and your COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. “Control what’s yours to control and trust that what you’re doing is part of the process,” he continues. “When it’s interfering with your ability to get through the day, that’s when you need that extra help. If your emotions rise to the point where they feel overwhelming, though, consider reaching out to a professional therapist for help. “If you’re able to manage it and you feel you’re moving forward in a positive way, just maintain some self-care exercises.” “The measuring stick should be how much difficulty your emotional adjustment is causing you day to day,” notes Dr. Knowing yourself and your emotional tendencies is key to dealing with everything you feel during this surreal time. “Everything that a person might be feeling should be considered a ‘normal’ range of reaction to a very abnormal event,” says Dr. Most of us have never been through a pandemic, so we don’t know the process of reintegrating to normalcy after one. What’s the best way to manage the mix of emotions I’m experiencing? When you’re already removed from your comfort zone, this over-stimulation can cause your anxiety to spike. But when you’re back at the office or out in the world, there’s more to the environment - including new sights, sounds and smells - that can be over-stimulating.”Īs you’re readjusting to this setting that you’ve been away from for two years, your brain has to work overtime to process everything. “If you’ve been working or staying at home, you can mostly control that environment. Sacco also says we shouldn’t discount being over-stimulated in returning to a pre-pandemic routine and setting. And that means more stress adjusting to yet another new routine.ĭr. Now, routines are shifting again for many of us, even if we’re not returning to exactly how we were before COVID-19. “Just as some of us had issues adjusting to new behavior at the beginning of the pandemic, some of us are going to need extra time to adjust to life as we transition out of the pandemic.”Īdditionally, many people developed new routines during the pandemic, settling into different work and school environments and adjusting to those new ways of life. It’s OK to still feel anxious about infection, and it’ll take time for some to adjust to feeling safe out in public after two years of isolation and surges. Why do I feel anxious about a ‘return to normal’?įirst and foremost, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 hasn’t gone away. To get an idea of how we can handle this transition, we spoke to psychologist Matthew Sacco, PhD. There are a lot of mixed messages to interpret, and that can cause a lot of anxiety and stress as we shift to this next stage, one in which mandates are rolled back and more pre-pandemic behaviors - like in-office work and no mask requirements - return. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
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