Ask Aunt B

Dear Aunt B,

I work in the corporate world. I have worked from home since all this mess has started. I am now having to return to the office. Where I thought I missed the office and all that it brought with it, I am now really dreading all the drama that comes with work inside the ivory towers. How do I make the transition easier?

Back to the Office

Dear Back to the Office,

You are definitely not alone. This time is called The Great Resignation. It has been reported that 95% of corporate workers are considering changing jobs. Workers are wanting to work for employers that are more in line with their own values. Workers are also frustrated with the politics that can come from corporations that are stuck in old ways of working.

There are a multitude of reasons companies want their workers to return to work. They own expensive real estate that needs to be used. The middle and sometimes senior managers are seeing their jobs endangered because people were productive from their home offices without being micromanaged. It is also harder to keep track of workers when they are all over the place.

Returning to work usually means returning to a substantial commute which just seems like wasted time. It can also mean returning to a place that included long hours and considerable burn out.

Take a long hard look at what you loved about it and what you didn’t. If you have to return, start right away making the needed changes to make your inside the office work more inline with your own personal values. If you return to the same dysfunction that you left you will soon return to your own dysfunctional behaviors. Quickly make the needed changes. Set your boundaries immediately on returning to the office.

You can make better time with your commute by listening to podcasts or books while you drive. I actually love the time for this education and entertainment. It feels like a two-for to me. I think I have mentioned before but Darren Hardy has a Darren Daily that is a great short lesson every Monday through Friday. It is free and has some of the best productivity advice I have seen anywhere. I also subscribed to Audible and listen to both fiction and nonfiction. I think there are some good non-paid visions of books on demand as well. I also subscribed to a service called Blinkist that breaks the main message in a large number of books down to short little blinks.

As far as the office politics, decide to not participate. It can take some effort because often it is how we feel like we belong. I promise it will feel better to not be involved. Just walk away when the drama starts, others will quickly get the message you don’t want to participate. The pressure to do so can be strong so hold tight to your decision to not participate.

What can you do now to put healthier habits in place to protect yourself from burn out? Better self care comes to my mind. We can all improve our own personal self care habits. Set better boundaries in the workplace. Go home when your time on the clock is over. Build better work habits so you can get your work completed in the time allotted.

All this being said, it is a great time to reevaluate your personal situation. Look at your financial situation. Do you have the flexibility to make changes if you desire? If not do you need to set somethings in place now. Look at what you want and make any changes you need now.

Love,

Aunt B

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