Slowly but surely Australian businesses are returning to some kind of regular routine, giving many the freedom to leave their home offices and venture back in to the workplace. However, for some this freedom may come mixed with a little dread. For the last few months we’ve all spent our time getting used to working from home, adjusting our routines and getting acquainted with a new kind of work day. Sure, it’s affected our productivity, but we’ve made it work. We’ve gotten used to only seeing our coworkers on screen, and missing out on catch ups in the kitchen while making our morning coffee, and we’ve made peace with the fact that we live and work in the same place, with absolutely no break in between. But now it’s time to return, so what’s our new day, our new productivity going to look like? How do we get back to normal?
Take it Slow
Remember, it’s going to be weird for everybody. Even the most adaptable among us are going take a minute to adjust to suddenly having a coworker two meters away in each direction, the sound of multiple printers humming in the distance, and the constant chatter of a busy office.
Try this mantra: Take it slow, and keep your expectations low (hey, that rhymes!). The key to any potentially difficult transition is to go easy on yourself. Yes, sure, you need to get your work done. And yes, you’re potentially a bit behind on your work after being away from the office and your usual resources for so long. So, productivity is going to be important. The good news is that you can be fantastically productive, while still being kind to yourself.
Taking a slow and steady approach to things is going to be better for your productivity in the long run than if you jump in, all guns blazing without any real plan or strategy. Now that you’re back in the office with your full suite of resources available to you, and your coworkers close by take a moment to take stock, have a team catch up, and build yourself a fresh to-do list. Before you know it you’ll be back in the swing of things and ready to tackle anything.
Customise your Surroundings
Whatever your home office situation has been, whether you have a dedicated space with a flash sit/stand desk and proper lighting, or you’ve been propped up at the end of the dining table, odds are you’ve gotten used to it and you’ve made it work. Maybe you’ve spruced things up a little, added a plant and some ambient music, some essential desk accessories even.
Just as you made changes to your home office to make it feel a little more like “work”, so too can you make changes to your work space to make it feel a little more like “home”. A personalised work space helps to inspire productivity by putting you at ease and reducing stress, and at a time like this little reminders of home might be all it takes to get you in to the ‘ready to work’ mindset.
Reduce Distraction
By now you will have gotten used to working on your own, and it’s been long enough that you may not even notice just how quiet it is anymore. It could be wildly distracting once you return to a noisy, busy office, filled with people buzzing about, catching up and getting back to normal.
When you get back to the office you may find new partitions, a rearranged desk arrangement or completely new office fit-out designed to meet with new social distancing and hygiene practices. While this new arrangement may provide you some reprieve from distractions, for the sake of your personal productivity it’s a good idea to take your own steps to help you adjust to the bright lights and noise. Headphones are likely to be your new best friend, noise cancelling are best to really block out the chatty coworkers and ambient general office noise like phones ringing and keyboards tapping, those sounds you never really noticed before but that are now drilling in to your subconscious. Plants are also great at reducing noise pollution, they’re also very helpful in reducing stress anxiety, as outlined in this handy article here.
When you head back to the office be prepared for distractions and go armed with a great pair of headphones, some plant friends to prep yourself for peak productivity.
Take Care of Yourself
Your health and well-being is priority number one, and social distancing and hygiene practices remain very much in place to keep you and your coworkers healthy and well. There’s no greater hit to your productivity than getting sick so taking good care of yourself, especially during the winter months is imperative.
Hot teas, proper hydration, and eating well are always your best defense against common winter illnesses, add to that the need for extra protection against COVID-19 with frequent hand washing, hand sanitiser and extra surface cleaning and you’re doing your very best to protect yourself from viruses of all kinds. When you head back to work make sure to stock yourself up with your own supplies like anti-bacterial wipes for your desk, keyboard, and mouse, personal hand sanitiser as well as your favourite tea and snacks.
It’s understandable that some are feeling a little anxious about heading back to the office, while others remain cautiously optimistic that the lifting of restrictions and the call back to work signals a slow return to normal. Either way we all need to stay productive, and the best way to do this is to make yourself comfortable in your space, prepare for, and defend against distraction, and take care of your health and well-being. Don’t forget to go equipped with a few fun anecdotes to share with your coworkers who have no doubt missed your wit and charm!
