9 Tips to Make Your Return to the Office Suck Less
Back to the Grind.
This month my company made us come back to the office 3 times a week. It’s been hard but I’ve tried to embrace it.
Here are 9 random yet impactful tips that have enhanced my experience.
Before Work
1. Tomorrow Starts Today
I hate waking up early. Now I have to wake up even earlier and get dressed for work.
Rather than go back to the habit of rushing, I’ve been embracing the idea of prepping the night before.
I set my watch for 9 pm to run through a checklist called “Tomorrow Starts Today”. I do these four things.
What am I wearing? (work clothes)
What am I eating? (lunch)
What does my day look like? (a quick look at meetings and reviewing my priorities for tomorrow)
Is my pour-over coffee station set? (I am sort of a coffee snob)
Doing a few things the night before makes mornings more pleasant and less chaotic. It’s the difference between greeting the day versus fighting it.
2. Keep Travel Size Kleenex in your Personal Effects
Am I the only one who sneezes at the first sight of the sun?
Do yourself a favor and buy a pack of travel-size Kleenex and place them into your bag/purse, coat, or wherever so you have them ready when on the go.
3. Mindful Commute
When I take the train to work in the morning, I keep my phone in my pocket. It gives me a moment to pause and let my mind wander. It ends up generating some good ideas.
It would be nice to jot down thoughts and ideas but good ideas resurface. You just need to turn off inputs and ponder.
4. Delete Social Media Apps
It’s hard not to observe others on the train. Everyone is staring at their phone. But I’ve categorized 3 types of phone usage. Those listening to a podcast/music, general phone scrolling, and the ones swiping on Reels/TikTok.
I can tell someone is watching short-form content just by observing the way they are flicking up and the dopamine hit on their face. I would be in the same boat if I had them on my phone.
If you haven’t done so already, delete TikTok/Instagram and use them on your laptop or iPad. One of the best decisions I made a few years ago.
Social Interactions
5. Don’t Ask People “How was your weekend?”
Instead, ask “What did you do this weekend?”
“How” makes people judge their weekend on whether it merits talking about.
“What” lets them dive in and not filter.
This prevents a closed-ended response and makes the conversation flow.
6. Complement Other Men
Everyone loves compliments. Men rarely get any. If you are a guy, compliment other guys on their clothes, shoes, and hair. I see my female friends do this all the time.
I had a male coworker compliment my sweater. It felt so good. The same week, someone told me how old they were and I told them they looked much younger. It brought joy to their face.
The rule is to be genuine and immediate. When good things pop into your head tell people. It’s selfish to admire others in silence.
After Work
7. Reading is Better Than Listening
My commuter train is loud. Even with AirPod Pros in my ears.
So instead, I’ve fallen in love with reading on the iPhone Kindle App during my afternoon commute.
Distractions are still moments away, but it’s helping me read more and condition my brain to enjoy active, concentration versus passive stuff like podcasts.
8. Don’t Put it Down, Put it Away
This is the golden rule for organization. When you are done with an item, put it back in its original spot.
When I leave work, my badges go in the front zipper pocket as I walk into the elevator. This way I am not fumbling around the next day.
When I open the door to my apartment, I don’t just put my bag down. It goes in the right place. My lunch bag gets removed. My clothes get put away.
Mise en Place. Everything in its place.
9. What’s in Motion, Stays in Motion
Newton’s 1st law of motion says an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.
For the first week, I would get home and crash on my sofa for 2 hours in my work clothes. I couldn’t be bothered.
Now, I try my best to have something to do the minute I return home. This could be a writing session, changing into workout clothes, or prepping dinner.
The point is to stay in motion. The minute you stop, it’s going to be so much harder.
Thanks for reading!
Irfan
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