The struggle is real!
How has reentry/going back to work in the office impacted you? That is, if you are among those that have already gone back. In my last post, I reflected on my apprehensions about returning to the office and some of the losses I will experience.
Like I promised myself, I have been noting how I am feeling and how best to manage the transition back to the office. And after 2 weeks of the transition, I can only say that the struggle is real!
I am missing out on a lot of natural light and getting really, really tired every day while accomplishing less. Thankfully, I am not fighting a mental battle and I find the tiredness very draining. I can only think of how a 10-minute power nap on my couch would have salvaged the situation if I was working from home, but, alas, that will not be the case for now.
Not alone
As an introvert, I enjoy being in my zone – alone! It has been nice seeing many faces (behind the masks though) that I last saw in person over the past 18 months. But that’s just about where the “fun” ends for me. Interestingly, the extroverts I work with have also mentioned how tired they get and often dread another trip to the kitchen as they do not wish to indulge in water cooler talks at certain times of the day. I think this is part of the relearning we all have to do with reentry as our social norms have been rewired while in isolation.
Who is the boss?
“Life is a flash of lighting in the dark of night. It is a brief time of tremendous potential.”
B. Alan Wallace
Given that I am back in the office because I am an employee, it does sound like my boss is well defined. What I can tell you is that during those moments I am fighting off the sleepiness and weak eyes with no couch in sight, there’s no hiding who the boss is in those moments :).
Jokes aside, who is your boss? As I reflected on this reentry and the transition so far, I had to remind myself that I will always be the boss of me. I needed to recognize that I am the only one responsible for my wellness – emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental. Though there are lots of things – external and internal that impact and may influence my wellness, it doesn’t make those things my boss.
You may be wondering why we are talking boss here. Not to worry, I am not about to lead a revolution against our employers. This reflection is a way to reframe once again for myself and hopefully you, what we have control over.
I am reminded that my job is only one piece of the whole. And with that in mind, it should not overtake my entire wellness in any negative way. I love my job and I love a lot of other things too. To show up as my authentic self and be the best, I have to do more of the things I love.
Ways to do more of what I love
To continue being the best version of myself, I am committed to doing more of the things I love, including the positive discoveries I made while working from home. Ultimately, my wish is that more and more workplaces will offer “real” flexibility to their employees, trusting that most people are responsible and get the work done. I imagine that if most employees find themselves as entrepreneurs, for the most part, to survive, they will work in flexible ways and get things done. So maybe this is a reminder to employers to empower their employees. But I digress 🙂
So, how would one do more of what they love?
“Look outside and you will see yourself. Look inside and you will find yourself.”
Drew Gerald
Tips
- First things first, do you know what you love? Sometimes, we don’t make out time to reflect on deep things about ourselves, This is a big loss because self-awareness is key to success and your peace and wellbeing. The simplest way to discover some of the things you love is – well- do the self-reflection. You could start with asking what you learned about yourself while working from home. Which aspects of the adventure did you find enjoyable, fulfilling, and satisfying? Go ahead and do that now. I highly recommend writing these down.
- Next do a time audit. A time audit is simply noting how your time goes everyday. What you spend time on and how much time you spend on each item. You then compare that to what is important to you. You may be surprised to find that the bulk of you time is going to things that are not important to you. When I do a time audit, it helps me rearrange my time to make sure I am spending my time doing the things I love. This one step lifts that feeling of overwhelm and stress. As in the point above, do not do this exercise in your head. It’s better to write it all out. Most people either overestimate or understimate their use of resources ( time, money, energy), when they only think it and not write it out.
- The next step is to execute your plan from the time audit. The twist here is that I recommend finding a buddy or an accounatbilty partner for some of those items in your schedule that are important and should not be compromised for anyone. You know how many times we have the best intentions and plans and yet, for some reason, these awesome plans don’t get implemented awesomely.
Your turn
As the boss of you, remember you alone has the control over your wellness. Your job, being only a part of the whole should not take up your entire life, relationships and wellness. Remind yourself that you have done challenging things successfully in the past. Just like adjusting to any new adventures, this transition will ultimately turn out well once you re-establish routines that are based on your values and what’s important to you.
You matter! So, take care of YOU!
Thanks for reading.
Blessings.
