{"id":3544,"date":"2022-05-11T10:56:56","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T02:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/?p=3544"},"modified":"2022-05-17T12:19:47","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T04:19:47","slug":"experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Experiencing \u2018Return Anxiety\u2019 in the workplace?\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/freelance-asia-women-wear-face-mask-using-laptop-hard-work-new-normal-home-office-working-from-house-overload-self-isolation-social-distancing-quarantine-corona-virus-prevention-1067x600.jpg 1067w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_11 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace\/#Returning_to_the_Workplace\" title=\"Returning to the Workplace&nbsp;\">Returning to the Workplace&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace\/#Readjusting_to_the_%E2%80%98New_%E2%80%98old_Normal%E2%80%99%E2%80%99\" title=\"Readjusting to the \u2018New \u2018old Normal\u2019\u2019&nbsp;\">Readjusting to the \u2018New \u2018old Normal\u2019\u2019&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace\/#Reducing_ReturntoWork_Anxiety\" title=\"Reducing Return-to-Work Anxiety&nbsp;\">Reducing Return-to-Work Anxiety&nbsp;<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-6\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-6\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-6\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-6\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-6\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-6\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-6\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-6\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/experiencing-return-anxiety-in-the-workplace\/#The_Distress_Cycle\" title=\"The Distress Cycle\">The Distress Cycle<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-returning-to-the-workplace\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Returning_to_the_Workplace\"><\/span>Returning to the Workplace&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Since 2020, it has been over 2 years since Singapore started a hybrid mode of working from home and working in office. With the adjustment of Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level from Orange to Yellow on 26 April 2022, there are&nbsp;no more restriction for social gathering. Thus, employees in organisations are allowed to return to their offices every day. However, it affects employees differently. Some employees enjoy the new normal but some employees experience \u2018return anxiety\u2019.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-readjusting-to-the-new-old-normal\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Readjusting_to_the_%E2%80%98New_%E2%80%98old_Normal%E2%80%99%E2%80%99\"><\/span>Readjusting to the \u2018New \u2018old Normal\u2019\u2019&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You might think that we are just returning to how it was pre-pandemic; we should be accustomed to it. Hence, it is not that big of a change. However, that is not entirely true. A survey conducted by The Straits Times revealed that 10% of respondents were willing to live with the COVID-19 restrictions beyond two years. This group may have feelings of anxiety when returning to the workplace \u2013 a reaction some experts have termed \u201cre-entry anxiety\u201d or \u201creturn anxiety\u201d.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">All of us have spent the last 2 years living in a COVID-19 pandemic era, going through the routine of social distancing ourselves in public. So much so that when we return to the workplace, even minimal social interactions with our colleagues will make us stressed at work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-reducing-return-to-work-anxiety\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reducing_ReturntoWork_Anxiety\"><\/span>Reducing Return-to-Work Anxiety&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle.png 900w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle-660x400.png 660w, https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Distress-Cycle-400x242.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-the-distress-cycle\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Distress_Cycle\"><\/span><em><strong>The Distress Cycle<\/strong><\/em><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" id=\"mce_1_start\" data-mce-style=\"overflow:hidden;line-height:0px\" style=\"overflow:hidden;line-height:0px\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" id=\"mce_1_start\" data-mce-style=\"overflow:hidden;line-height:0px\" style=\"overflow:hidden;line-height:0px\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To help reduce anxiety and stress and prevent a loss of productivity, we can attempt to break the distress cycle by the methods of identifying, monitoring and controlling workplace stressors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Some people are afraid of interacting with others, including people who may not be vaccinated or are not respecting public health measures. It becomes the main stressor which causes \u2018return anxiety\u2019. Thus, that\u2019s why public support like wearing a mask while indoor and staying home while sick is still important and necessary. Supervisors shall remind their staffs; schools shall remind their students if non-compliance occurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Some people are used&nbsp;to the lifestyle with remote work and feel stressed if the working mode is switched suddenly. It is more beneficial to promote work-life balance, work at a reasonable pace, and avoid overtime as much as possible. If there is difficulty in coping deficiencies and increasing productivity, a timely communication and consultation with supervisors is also helpful to make tasks and assignments more manageable to break the distress cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting from 26 April 2022, companies are shifting to 100% back to office arrangements.\u00a0 Some employees may like it but others may experience \u2018Return Anxiety\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":3546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3020],"tags":[3463,3464],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3544"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3580,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544\/revisions\/3580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}