Are You Ready?
Erfan Sakib on September 2, 2021
Now that everyone is completing their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, are you mentally ready to go back to normal? To how everything was before? Admittedly, it is a big step stepping out of the pandemic and going back to our previous routine, but eventually it must be done whether we like it or not.
We understand this might be a little stressful, especially with the number of daily cases being what it is, but remember how stressed out we all were having to sit at home for months, wishing everything would go back to normal? How working from home in a mostly non-conducive environment was taking a toll on our mental health?
When we are fully vaccinated, it becomes our responsibility to slowly start returning to our obligations. Meetings need to be done face to face for better clarification, things can be done more efficiently in a timely manner, and on top of performance improvement, it will also benefit our social and mental needs. We will finally get to breathe in some fresh air daily and we get to mingle and laugh with our colleagues.
As to how we understand your concerns, we hope you understand ours too. We must keep operating if we want to keep providing for everyone. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is we can only sustain when we are fully operational, and we know this is a bitter pill to swallow. As we embark on this journey of embracing the new normal at work, we need to learn to be interdependent. Relying on each other and helping each other out will ensure that we will be able to swiftly get back into our previous work routine safely and efficiently.
We promise we will be there with you every step of the way. Experiencing back-to-work anxiety is completely normal and together, we will manage the issue. Remember that you are not the only one who is facing this – we are too. There are plenty of ways for us to address this issue and one of it is identifying our causes for concern.
At any given time, you are allowed to voice out your concerns and together we will find the best solution. Let’s normalise openly talking about our mental health and to always be inclusive and attentive of one another. This will foster a mentally healthy workspace, and given the current climate, we are each other’s resources, so we must have each other’s back.
Two years ago, we could only dream of being here, unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is a breakthrough, and we must seize this opportunity now more than ever to help our society return to what it was. We must turn over a new leaf and although it is still a little tricky, there are SOPs put in place to guide us through. We are not saying we are ready to go back to a mask-less society, but we are heading in the right direction. It is a scary step but a necessary one. If you want things to go back to the way they were, you have got to be your own hero.