Remote working has become our new normal. It absolutely has its benefits, freeing up time to attend appointments, being able to do the school run or even just hitting the gym on your lunch. Whilst this is a great opportunity, it's not for everyone, especially not for the whole working week. Being a part of a company is also being around your colleagues, bouncing off ideas, and socialising with each other outside of the office.

A study showed that 16-24-year-olds favour working in the office full-time and over 55s are the most likely to want to work from home permanently.

About 50% of leaders say their company already requires or is planning to require employees to return to in-person work full-time in the next year and if that's the case, here are 3 tips on transtioning from remote working to being back in the office.

Source: ​https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/18/50percent-of-companies-want-workers-back-in-office-5-days-a-week.html

1. Brush Up on Your Time Management Skills

When making the transition, it is not uncommon to feel as though you’ve lost control of your routine, time and workflow. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, practising time management routines will give you more control of your day. Try incorporating some of the following habits into your daily routine:

• Create a daily task list

• Prioritize your tasks

• Do the most critical tasks in the morning

• Minimize distractions

• Find your flow state

• Don’t wait for inspiration to start working

• Schedule your breaks

• Organize your deck, task list, inbox, etc.

Source: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/employee-management/time-management-tips/

2. Take Advantage of the Benefits 

• Going back to the workplace allows you more opportunities to build stronger relationships with your coworkers.

• The workplace may boost your productivity - with limited distractions, you may find yourself feeling more inspired and motivated.

• Smartsheet’s survey found that 49% of the sampled workers found it harder to give status updates on projects, 58% said it was harder to receive status updates and 68% felt less informed about what was going on with their company since working from home.

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/content-center/news/workplace-survey-finds-nearly-90-young-workers-having-difficulty-working-remote

3. Make Your Commute a Little More Enjoyable 

• Allow yourself more leeway time to get to work so that you’re not rushing.

• Instead of perceiving your commute as a waste of time, take full advantage of it - learn something from a podcast, discover new music or listen to an audiobook.

• Find a mode of transportation that works for you. There are so many different ways to get around: biking, public transportation, rideshare, carpooling with a coworker, etc.

Finding a way to maintain a sense of control in your new routine, taking full advantage of the opportunities, and making your commute more enjoyable will make the shift less intimidating. 
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