I finally received my 30 day notice. Plans to return to in-person work were real this time. On my first day back to the office, I was greeted by a welcome station, extra cleaning supplies, a food truck schedule and reminders that refreshment stations were open for the remainder of the week. I must say that I appreciated the effort.

Remote work has been a source of relief for me. I am sure it was for many introverts. It would not be an exaggeration to say that remote work suits me well: I wanted to do this forever. My re-entry anxiety surfaces ever so often when I think about what returning to the office brings. For me, returning to the office brings loss of peace and quiet. It will no longer be just me and my laptop settling into my workday, completely content. The extra effort to act pleasant and energetic, while trying to be productive can be draining for some, like myself. Half-way through my first day, all I really wanted to do was sink back into my own head to recharge and think. 

Letting go of my comfortable home routine that allowed me to maximize my productivity while tremendously reducing the amount of anxiety I feel was not easy. The thought of the stress of commuting, and just generally having to exist in other people’s noise again, has me wishing I can win the lotto and retire today.

Check out this post I shared last week about preparing to return to the workplace.