Back To The Office

The world of work is changing again where more people are being required to return to the office. I worked for many years in corporate and change was always present.

Right now Employers are tightening in-office requirements and many are feeling the stress with longer commutes, tighter schedules and less time for self-care. Creating a blurring of boundaries between life, work, and health will result into a perfect health storm if we are not careful. Experts are definitely seeing amplifying mental health challenges, neck/back and hip tension, headaches, repetitive strain and compromised immune system all contributing to burnout. Families and caregivers are seeing fewer flexible gaps to run errands, book medical and dental appointments, where self-care becomes the very last thing on the calendar.

With all the demands that are forever evolving, How can we create new strategies to help cope with our everyday and become more resilient.

Here are a few tips that made my life easier and maybe adopting a few things will help you settle in your full-time office routine.

1.Creating an audit of your responsibilities at home. What can be outsourced economically that will reduce your stress and bring back ease to your day?

• Hiring a Mother's helper to get you organized ( yes they exist)

• Hiring a cleaning person or dividing up the cleaning with the kids/spouse

• Outsourcing laundry - wash and fold services

• Organizing a car pool

• Dry cleaning shirts ( if needed)

• Ordering groceries to be delivered weekly

• Planning the meal prep in advance for the week

• Having 7 different recipes that can be rotated

• Ordering at school pizza or sushi lunches for the kids

• Really taking a lunch out of the office and check off an errand

  Or just enjoying a mindfulness moment.

• Booking one night a week - Take out ( ie: Mexican or Greek)

2.How about an audit around work; What works and what doesn't work after the first month back at the office?

• Choosing a commute plus window i.e.: 10 to 15 min buffer before and at the end of your day. An opportunity to catch your breath and have a coffee.

• Having an open conversation with your Manager about your first month back.

  Delegate or eliminate non-essential tasks. Creating boundaries about work hours. Has the role morphed? Maybe needing to hire another person to handle the workload.

  Adding back one day a week work from home, maybe needing your own office, ordering in lunch once a week to foster relationships at work. Having snacks in the lunch room such as granola bars and fresh fruit.

• Check if you have EAP as part of your benefits and what is offered, such as short-term counselling services, access to wellness resources.

• Is there a wellness committee? If not approaching HR or the Manager to help

  initiate one.

• Keep a " grab and go" kit - so you don't spiral when you forgot your charger

  i.e.: A spare charger, a water bottle, compact umbrella, band-Aids, extra socks, few extra dollars , hot shots, warm sweater, granola bars, hand lotion, period pads, Motrin, a blanket, flash light ( emergency kit)

• protecting your body from desk-commute strain - allowing 5 mins every hour; incorporating small movements such as shoulder rolls, calf raises, feet stretches, back and arm stretches. Check with your HR, Online or with your Physio Professional to be preventative.

• Avoiding eating lunch at your desk creating an opportunity for a mindfulness break.

• create one or two admin blocks per week and batch your essential appointments on an electronic calendar for everyone involved.

  ie: Dental appointments, refill prescriptions, amazon orders, school forms.

• Print the calendar for each month and ensure everyone has added their activities that involves YOU.

• Plan your floater days/personal days in advance at least once a month for YOU!

• Book a real vacation, it can be 3 days or a week. Borrowing someone's cottage, book a hotel with a pool in the city or an Island vacation. Changing perspective allows to recharge and reset.

3. What about your self-care and your family?

• Resetting your sleep schedule by going to bed earlier and preparing for the next day.

• Creating a new rhythm 1 hour prior to bed , letting go all devices, 5-5-5 reset - 5 mins of meditation, 5 mins of stretching, 5 mins of journaling.

• Squeezing in the Gym/exercising 3 times per week

  check if your Gym has another location closer to work ( great time at lunch)

• Creating a rhythm of self-care ie: first week of the month and Mid-month- check-in. What do you need?

• Booking massage, chiro, physio, reflexology, reiki, sound healing, osteopathy.

  Choosing practitioners who have flexible hours or who are mobile for a few extra dollars for a home care session or bringing wellness back to the office.

  Inviting practitioners to provide chair massages, Hand Reflexology, Meditation or breathwork.

I hope these tips provide a new perspective for home and work environments.

You are your own advocate and you are not alone. Ultimately employers want their employees to be happy, productive and to prioritize their wellbeing.

Being aware of your needs and having an open dialogue to ensure your work, life balance.