“For some people this created a better work/life balance, and opened up opportunities they had not considered possible before, whether that involves working from home, changing careers, or even retiring,” says Sarah Carstens, LCSW, Clinical Manager of Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health’s Women’s Program in Eatontown. “For others, it triggered new or reinforced existing social anxiety issues. While some people have been able to jump right back in to a return to their prior working arrangements, many others have found the shift to be emotionally challenging.”
A Healthy Approach to Re-entering the Workplace
If returning to the workplace — whether on a full-time or part-time basis — is causing you anxiety, there are steps you can take to smooth the transition or initiate a healthy change in the direction you want your life to take.
These include:
- Take time to focus on yourself and consider what you like and dislike about both your pre-pandemic and post-pandemic work situations.
- Actively pursue things that give you pleasure rather than simply going through the motions. For example, make time for a new hobby or mindfully prepare a meal or select a movie to watch rather than just falling back into old habitual behaviors.
- Take changes slowly, whether it involves returning to the workplace full-time, finding a way to adapt your existing job to your new goals, or pursuing a new livelihood.
- Communicate your feelings with those close to you.
- Be honest with yourself about your feelings and desires, and be patient in pursuing them.
- Remember you are not the only one experiencing anxiety and uncertainty.
“The unprecedented changes brought on by the pandemic have impacted all of us, and while our journeys are all different, they all have the common elements of isolation and anxiety,” says Carstens.
“It is very important to remember, no matter what your concerns about re-entry may be, to take slow, thoughtful steps to reconnect with yourself and with others,” she added. “Think about where you were before the pandemic, what you have experienced and learned during the pandemic, and what you envision for your future with those points in mind. Then share those thoughts with people who are close to you and talk things over to form a clearer picture of what is possible and how it can be put into place in logical steps.”
Seeking professional help is warranted if anxiety is impacting your ability to function and complete daily tasks or impacting your relationships with loved ones.
“At Princeton House, we help individuals experiencing anxiety, regardless of the source, develop the skills needed to understand and cope with anxiety,” says Carstens.