For some, returning to the workplace feels like the 'Sunday scaries' on steroids: 'I'm terrified of being forced to go back into the office and lose the gains I’ve made in quality of life,' one worker said.
“It’s more than that for many, though,” Warrell added. “Others are nervous or anxious about the health risks and anxious about their ability to make the adjustment.”
“Spending all that time, effort and money and now having to go back to the pre-pandemic routine seems like it was all for naught,” said Jonas, who lives in Erlangen, Germany. The fears are twofold for Stacey, a financial manager in health care research who lives in Salt Lake City. First, as an introvert, she’s really not looking forward to having to perform as an extrovert at work. She’s tried putting herself back out there, but finds it draining.
“Right now, my responsibilities can be fulfilled remotely and I don’t have to be in-office,” he said. “I have co-workers in other departments who are in-office most days, if not the entire week, but since my company spans several time zones, working from home means I can split up my workday into blocks. It’s much more efficient than me refreshing my inbox waiting for a response and finding ways to kill time when things are slow.
When her managers hinted at a return to the office earlier this year, Rebecca said she had anxiety attacks over it. “When my office announced that staying 100% remote was possible, I think I lost 100 pounds in sheer relief. I literally teared up,” Rebecca said. “I’ve been fighting to be allowed to work from home for years and it took a pandemic to prove I was right about being able to be productive and effective from home.”How to deal with returning-to-the-office anxiety, according to experts.
“That might mean reducing the number of people in the office at any one time, minimizing the potential for close contact, creating separate work spaces rather than congregate seating or allowing flexible schedules,” she said. “In some settings it might also mean enforcing indoor mask mandates or requiring proof of vaccination before returning to congregate workspaces.”It’s OK not to feel 100% OK about going back in.
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