The last few months have been challenging for us all and we have had to make extreme adjustments, we now live in a different world with unanswered questions about our future safety and your wellbeing is a priority.

Night always follows day, we need to get back to some sort of normality inclusive of our working lives, so how do we do this?

Right now, you may be swarmed with various emotions and feeling confused, worried, and apprehensive about going back to work.

Employers will be considering change in the workplace in terms of health and safety whilst maintaining operable services effectively to comply. Of course, these adjustments will depend on your job duties and the environment as well as your core function and customer base.

Everyone’s situation is unique and so are you. That’s why you need a personal adjustment plan.

Here are a few tips to help you flow back to the new normal.

Talk and connect

You may not have interacted with your work colleagues for a few months, check in with them, see how they are doing, reconnect, it’s positive and worthwhile, remember they are going through their own version of what you are going through. You DON’T need to talk about work on the first phone call, just support each other with a friendly caring call, it makes a difference. There is an old but very true saying. “People don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care”

Preparation is Key

At some point YOU will need to speak with your line manager and it’s important to ask them how they see things changing in the workplace to start emotionally getting your head in the correct vibe for return. Have their expectations of you changed because of the pandemic?

· What about your journey to work do you car share or get public transport how will you get to work?

· Will anything be different as you enter the building? What about the going to the toilet, your lunchbreak?

· Will all the staff return? Are you needed to work a full week, or can you work some of the time remotely?