Our Collective Trauma
Over the past year and a half, we’ve been through this collective trauma and while it doesn’t seem to be over, we sure are re-opening things in some ways.
I am so happy you are here with me at this time. And as you read this, I want to take a moment to celebrate the fact that we made it so far. I also remember and pray for those who have lost loved ones or something precious during this season. In the history of humankind, we see over and over again many good things coming out from adversity. This pandemic will not be any different. So, hang in there.
Going back to the office
My workplace like many others moved almost all operations to employees’ homes to keep everyone safe and healthy during the pandemic. So, today, we are starting the journey of re-entering back into the workplace.
This brings up a lot of emotions for me, and I know some other coworkers who are feeling a mix of emotions too. There’s still a lot of uncertainties and yet, we feel this urge to move on. No one has the right answers and it’s interesting how many of us are looking up to some people to provide the answers and tell us with certainty how things will turn out.
I reflect on this and I am reminded to look inwards. As I wrote in The Successful Immigrant Woman, people always have the answers they seek within. I believe that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel and I have much hope for our future.
How do you feel?
I feel sad, anxious, a sense of loss, some excitement but mostly apprehension. Over the past 18 months, I had a lot of wins from working from my home. Like most people, my productivity and creativity skyrocketed over the past 18 months. I could really experience the colors of Fall and the singing birds during the summer.
- I had natural light while working
- My “energy tank” was full before I started work each day because I had time to engage in self-love activities meeting my emotional, spiritual, physical and mental needs frequently.
- I no longer had breakouts on my face – this I believe is related to stress and some unhealthy habits which are tied to lack of self-care.
- Many of my relationships were much better – being that I sarted my day “full”, I had a lot of love to share. No one can give what they don’t have.
I can only imagine how anxious people are because of the impending loss of returning to the office. And frankly, we need to give ourselves time to go through the 5 stages of grieving. During the initial months of the pandemic, many workplaces were focused on measures around stress management. Now the new focus is on change management as we scramble to support the transitioning process. How much does this help?
Well, if it helps, just know that you are not alone. And you may be feeling that things are not within your control at this time. You are right! However, I would say not completely so! You do have some control. Let’s explore that further.
What to do
It’s normal that whenever we feel anxious, we tend to think there’s not much we can do. We give up control to external forces around us. Yes, there are many things we may not be able to control, but there are also many things that we do have control over when we reflect on them.
So, this is where I encourage you to start today: What do you have control over?
Below, I share what I plan to do over the next couple of weeks as I work out my feelings and routines during this transition process of returning to the office.
My Transition Plan
- Use expressive writing for the many emotions I am going through. For the next couple of weeks, I will use this reentry series to share some of my journey. Expressive writing is a proven way to deal with trauma and I hope what I share encourages someone and inspires others to share as well.
- Be open to exploring new ways and adaptatutions to some of those positive behaviours I started over the past 18 months. I would like to make sure I get some more natural light everyday at work. With an offcie space without windows, it is a challenge to work with natural light and one thought I am toying with is to move to a location with windows when I have focused work on my schedule. I will also schedule in time to connect and maintain some of the key relationships I grew over the past months.
- Say NO more often. I will be courageous and say NO to things that create stress. I have seen how much better the quality of my life and all my relationships were when I focused on self-love and self-care. To make this a priority, I will be saying NO to other people’s urgencies and focus on what’s important. I will remind myself daily that I can only give what I have and that my mental wellbeing is huge.
- Strive to speak out when not okay! I will also connect with my peeps and community for support. This promotes my mental health and wellness.
- Give GRACE to myself, my team and anyone I interact with daily. Everyone is going through the uncertainty in their own way, including me. A little grace and much love will help us get through things TOGETHER.
- Practice GRATITUDE. Being grateful elavates everything. I will look around me and find one thing to be grateful for. This always flips my mood and opens me up to see the opportunities around me.
- Celebrate little wins! In fact, I am already celbrating that I penned down these thoughts and I feel like I have made a small step in the right direction i=on what I have control over.
Now, it’s your turn. What are you going to do with all that anxiety?
Blessings!
