Will fear stop us returning to the office?
A few weeks ago I wrote an article for HBR. It's about returning to the office. As I write this blog sitting in Melbourne lockdown, it seems appropriate to draw out some of the main themes.
When we return to the office, public transport or even just the city we live in, there may be not only positive feelings of life returning to pre-COVID norms, but more difficult feelings may arise too. You may feel more on edge generally and have specific moments or events that can repeatedly cause you to become hyperalert. You may recognise yourself being more irritable, defensive or being more guarded. You may also find it harder to engage with tasks or people, places or spaces.
Here are some things to keep in mind (for you and for those around you)
Recognise the specifics of how your fear is triggered. Perhaps it is a place, a situation, or even a thought. Understanding what we think, experience and do when we are triggered can help us see fear earlier. This gives us more time to move from the automatic fight/flight reactions towards deliberate behavioural choice.
Given the continued confusion, isolation, and disruption we have experienced, no doubt for most of us our difficult feelings are pretty available to us right now! That's ok, there is a place for us to allow these feelings to be present, soothe ourselves through them and use the lessons they give us moving forward. Allow yourself the time to engage with your feelings and don't feel ashamed, or unentitled to your feelings. If you feel it is appropriate to screen your feelings in front of some, make sure there is space for you to let the screen down and just 'be', the alternative is exhausting
Be aware of how your fears make you behave. Usually fear makes us worry, avoid but watch out for that old defend and attack. Don't forget when people show frustrations, irritations or anger, most of the time this is motivated by fear.
The fear response is similar for all of us, it is, of course, a chemical reaction set off by a super system in our bodies. However, what triggers you and what triggers me, are vastly different. As we head back into the office, we will be coming with not only vastly different experiences of the past year, but vastly different triggers to our fears now. If people do not understand these differences, it will lead to much distress, division, distraction and disengagement.
Learn how to use some simple grounding techniques to calm your biological system should you experience a spike in anxiety.
As we return to work, our happiness, success and high performance rely on our ability to manage our fears and the fears of our colleagues.
This is an excerpt of an article I was asked to write for the HBR
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