Back to the Workplace: How to Transition from Working from Home

It has been an interesting 12 months for those who had an opportunity to work from home during the uncertain times we were all facing.

Many of us got used to the extra sleep in each morning and the short commute to our living rooms while we got to log in to a virtual office, stay in our comfy clothes, play our crazy music, and be surrounded by our loving pets.

As the world begins its transformation back to a new version of “normal”, a lot of workplaces are requesting that employees make their transition back to working from the office again.

Leaving the comforts of our home office can be a frightening thing to deal with as we have fallen in love with this new version of our working life.

You’re definitely not alone, and there are thousands of others who are feeling exactly the same way you are right now.

Here are our top tips for managing your transition:

1: Make your workplace feel more like home.

You don’t need to put up with a sterile cubicle to be productive at work.

Put your favourite plant on your desk to give your space some life.

Surround yourself in your favourite pictures, crystals, funko-pops, fly your Hogwarts house flag proudly, whatever brings you joy.

Bring a cushion in for your work chair or even a blanket to pop over your legs to keep you comfortable.

Ask management if it’s possible to wear headphones so you can listen to your music or favourite podcasts while you work.

2: If your work from home routine worked, don’t change it!

Effective employees working from home made sure that their time was managed well.

To keep your productivity at maximum try keeping your work-from-home schedule; use the first 10 minutes of the day to check your emails, use the same patterns for meetings where possible. Take breaks when you usually need them at home.

3: Communicate with your manager or leader.

Schedule time to speak to your manager or leader and let them know how you are feeling at all times, they want you to be a happy and productive employee and will want to accommodate this change for you. If you want to approach the option of working as a hybrid team member working from home 3 days a week, with 2 in the office, bring it up for discussion. They won’t know how you feel unless you tell them.

4: Take care of yourself!

You know yourself better than anyone. Prioritise your happiness and keep looking after yourself. Take time out to enjoy a cup of your favourite tea or schedule your days off for the next few months to use up some of that leave you never get to use.

If you are experiencing stress or anxiety or have any other concerns that are negatively impacting your mental health and wellbeing speak to your manager or your HR team to discuss options of additional support. You can also check out this directory for the support systems in place for Australians: https://mhaustralia.org/need-help