The lives of everyone have been upended during the pandemic. Turning that adversity into personal growth, positivity, and increased productivity is now a current and ongoing challenge as workers transition to the normalcy of the office routine and life after lockdown.

Although working from home felt safe and serene, it was often difficult to stay focused on the tasks that provided an income. The numerous distractions of securing food and consumables, avoiding outside contacts and maintaining healthy habits inside four walls was daunting. Everyone had to make a concerted effort to cope with the ever-present pressure to block out the upheaval that the unseen and raging virus was causing. Good moods and strategizing a plan for an achievable family indoor life, between business zoom calls and barking dogs, led to early and frequent burnout. That said, life continued, people persevered and now it’s time to move forward.

Back To Work Re-Entry Anxiety – Make A Plan

The human spirit is indomitable. After many months at home people made the adjustment to confined life. Online work in comfy sweatpants and old socks, side-hustles for extra income, hot coffee and snacks whenever and a concentration on personal health, simple happiness and wellbeing, gave many working professionals a heightened respect for working from home. Yes, the return to structured office life does create anxiety. Re-engaging person-to-person after isolation takes a renewed energy and enthusiasm. The effort taken to commute again after all the stay-at-home comforts is a reality that must be faced. Crafting a plan for facing the challenges of real-time office life with its restrictions and new procedures will help to alleviate stress and anxious feelings you may have about life after lockdown.

Ramp Up To Reconfigured Office Life – Slow The Go

Hitting the road after many months of idleness takes a renewed focus and concentration that has not been recently exercised. It won’t take long to get up to speed on increased traffic. However, the need to have no distractions and an attention to your lax skill set for signaling, lane changes, route preparations, objects in the roadway, road conditions and driver error will help keep you safe as you slowly transition to the new-road-ready-driver you can become again. Making sure your insurance coverage is up to date with the amenities you now need is a wise plan. A phone call to a provider you can trust, like Freeway Auto Insurance, lets you drive those miles to the office with the renewed confidence that proactive thinking has provided.

Planning Office Re-entry – Focus On The Positive Aspects

Whether you have the option to spend specific hours working from home and other days back in your work environment, or a full-on return to structured office activity, concentrating on the positives of this situation can make a huge difference in reducing the stress that this kind of change creates. Speaking directly with your office administrator to determine the best safety practices to engage in is at the forefront of a workable and beneficial reentry. Making an effort to concentrate on the plus-side of life after lockdown is critical for achieving a healthy mindset and the kind of energy necessary for productivity and achievement. If you look at the analytics of the advantages to a return to the office, you will note that:

• Feelings of isolation experienced for many months will dissipate.
• Team interaction stirs renewed creativity and energy.
• Rebuilding social connections is life affirming and fun.
• Distractions from projects and interrupted communications disappear.
• Building a support group at work gradually in small groups, then adding others, will help to rebuild communication skills and add the element of comradery which is priceless at work.
• Being stalwart in embracing the tasks that must be achieved with a good attitude shows your strength of character, flexibility and company commitment.
• Plan to take note of the safety procedures that co-workers are following and respect their choice not to shake hands and to socially distance.
• Familiarize yourself with the company’s new rules for safety, sanitizing and any other health procedures which have been formulated to keep everyone healthy.
• Note that taking work back to the office offers an opportunity for an improved work/life balance. It creates the natural boundary for each aspect of your life prioritizing a sense of wellness and happiness.

Practice Self-Care To Maintain A Stress-Free Mind Set For Positive Change

Psychologists have stated that feelings of social anxiety are a normal reaction to all the separation and social distancing that has been created during the mitigation of the virus. Designing a plan to maintain a healthy regime at home for exercise, sound sleep, healthy food consumption, and relaxation will allow you to cope with the constraints that the new-normal office environment will have in place for a period of time to come. Be patient with yourself as you adjust to life after lockdown and try to reach that peak of performance you had previously. Like all good things it will return. Include taking frequent breaks and adding fun family photos into your workspace to instill that sense of the full life, both challenging and happy, that you have been blessed to maintain and regain in 2021.

*collaborative post

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The past year has been like no other year we have experienced in our lifetimes. The COVID pandemic has separated us from our loved ones physically, but it could never stop us from connecting virtually and in a strange way it has brought us even closer together. As lockdown restrictions start to ease and we can begin to see our loved ones again we’ve put together a few ways you can make your BFF smile as we enter this state of post lockdown.

Give Them A Memento Of Lockdown

There are obviously plenty of negatives that have come about from the pandemic, but there are also plenty of positive that can be taken from it too and these should be celebrated, not forgotten. Take some time to sit and think about the things you and your friend have enjoyed doing together during this period of time. Perhaps you’ve taken part in lots of online quizzes with other friends, maybe you’ve worked out together with your favourite fitness YouTubers, or maybe you’ve had all night gaming sessions together. No matter what you’ve done, one thing’s for sure, you’ve created lots and lots of memories and the best way to remember these is to get you both matching presents to mark this historic life event.

There are lots of best friend jewellery items out there and the best sterling silver earrings are the ones emblazoned with the letters BFF. Or what about a locket with a photo of you both tucked away inside. If you’re feeling really brave, you might like to consider getting matching or complimentary tattoos. Or if that’s a step too far, perhaps a nod to your gaming sessions with a couple of best legend of zelda t shirts would be more appropriate.

You might also like to put a scrapbook together of all of the memories from the past year, so that you can both look at it in the future and reflect upon this shared time. Stick in photos, newspaper clippings, a mask, drawings, little notes and typed out text messages you’ve sent each other, for a really personal and meaningful gift.

Take Them On A Surprise Day Out

You’ve not seen each other in for like forever so what better way to put a smile on your BFF’s face than by organising a surprise day out for you both. Arrange a mutually convenient day and time and plan an activity neither of you have done before.

Here’s some inspiration for you:

• Pottery Class – Book a session on the pottery wheel and embrace your creative spark. Just remember to wear the best sustainable overalls so you don’t ruin your own clothes!
• Paddle Boarding – This is the activity of the moment and there are lots of companies dotted around the country that offer either one off lessons or block booked sessions.
• Horse Riding – Channel your inner cow girls and celebrate going back into society by jumping right back into the saddle.
• Paint and Wine – Can you think of a better combination than an art class and drinking wine? Neither can we.
• Cooking Class – Friends that cook together stay together and the best bit? You get to eat it afterwards.

Be There For Them

Not everyone feels comfortable about life returning to normal, or should we say the ‘new normal’, because it isn’t like it was before. There are still some restrictions in place and coronavirus is still out there and this may make some people feel anxious and worried about venturing out into the world again.

Have a heart to heart with your friend and find out what you both feel comfortable with and what you still have reservations about. Your friendship is based on trust and understanding and so it’s important to respect this and to listen to what each other has to say. Everyone’s personal situation is different and we must make our own risk assessments during these changing times.

The most important thing is that you stay connected and that you continue to talk openly to one another and remember what it is about one another that makes you smile.

Times have been tricky and your friendship may at times have been tested to the limits, but you have made it through a pandemic together and that has made your connection stronger than ever. Now as you move on, you can make up for lost time and do all the things that make you both smile.

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