WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — You may have never left your work building during the pandemic, or perhaps you have been back inside for a while, or maybe you are getting ready to make that transition. No matter what your situation, health officials say there are things to keep in mind.
“It can be very overwhelming when you’re suddenly put into another environment. We can be very easily overwhelmed when we have questions," said Geisinger wellness specialist Emily Dale.
There may be new sanitization and health guards at your workplace because of the pandemic, perhaps plastic shields or new rules.
“There’s going to be a lot of things in place that are going to look different, feel different, and things that we’re going to be doing differently, there may be barriers in place, especially for shared work stations.”
On top of that, there is the mental side of heading back into the office. You may be feeling anxious about it all, and health experts say that is pretty normal.
“There can be a lot of stress for different reasons, so certain people might find certain things stressful," said Dale.
One of the best things you can do, according to the experts, is communicate: talk to your bosses, managers, and co-workers about what is expected of you, what is different, and how you are feeling about the changes.
“Continue to communicate as things might be changing in the world. It is really important to maintain that open communication.”