The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown for almost four months created a very unusual situation for everyone. Suddenly, we were all stuck at home without any option of going out to work or even to socialize. But a human brain forms any habit in 21 days. And now, we have all got used to staying at home. But as Unlock 1.0 becomes a reality, we may soon have to report back to work. But this is causing a lot of stress and anxiety among a lot of professionals. We got a couple of mental health experts to address these issues and armour us with the right weapons to get back to facing the world.
Meditation
Meditation is considered a great way to calm down our nerves.(Getty Images)
Experts suggest that calming our minds down before any big change is of utmost importance. And meditation can play a big role in doing so. It is known to give excellent results and is a trusted measure for a lot of therapists and psychologists that they suggest to their patients.
ALSOREAD:Improving balance and reducing risk of chronic illness: Learn walking meditation and its health benefits
Tap into your anxieties and worries
Psychologists say that it is normal to be feeling anxious or stressed before going back to work after this almost four month long lockdown. A lot of us have got used to staying and working from home. And it is important to acknowledge why we are feeling what we are feeling. It is okay to feel angry or frustrated to go back to work. A lot of people are also perceiving the threat of the virus and that happens because our nervous system is a little edgy. So, take steps to protect yourself by taking precautions and if you need more time, tell your workplace that, and accept your anxiousness, says Clinical Psychologist and trauma expert Seema Hingorrany.
Recall the positives of going back to work
Mental health experts say that going to work may have a lot more positives than working from home.(Photo: Shutterstock)
We might have got comfortable with the idea of working from home, and not spending hours in commuting to and fro from our offices. But we must ask ourselves this question that whether we would really like to work from home forever? Hingorrany says the answer in the long run will most likely be in negative. Going back and checking your old patterns will give you the confidence to go back to your old normal, suggests Hingorrany. Working from home has its own set of unhealthy factors.
Get back into a routine and bring discipline back into your life
Being prepared for a work day and knowing exactly what we are expected to do, can be very helpful.(Photo: Shutterstock)
Taking one day at a time and making a proper schedule for yourself seems to be the most common response to this problem. Kavita Mungi, mental health counsellor, says that knowing what exactly will your work day look like in office can help deal with the anxiety. Strategic planning with your team members on how to build confidence to face the new world is also another tip that she suggests.
Simplicity is key
Listening to music while going to work can help reduce our anxieties.(Photo: Shutterstock)
Make simple notes about where things went haywire in the lockdown. Make a checklist with your self about things like your sleep schedule or diet that has gone haywire, and try and fix them slowly. Small changes will help you to orient back to the new reality, says Hingorrany. On the other hand, Mungi suggests that little things like doing what you like and listening to music while commuting, etc., can help deal with the anxiety.
(With inputs from clinical psychologist and trauma expert Seema Hingorrany, and mental health counsellor Kavita Mungi.)
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Tips to get ourselves ready to go back to the real world - Hindustan Times
