Dr. Walia-Bhatia: How to handle back to work stress

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – As San Diego is opening up and it’s time to go back to work for so many, life is still not normal.

Some have no idea what our work will look like, Will we ever work in an office again? Will we ever feel comfortable eating out lunch with my colleagues? Will we ever be comfortable getting into an elevator with people?

And what happens if we emerge from our carefully constructed bubbles and get sick?—causing stress and anxiety to so many people.

Dr. Walia-Bhatia shared three tips to handle stress going back to work?

1.  Prepare to Control what you can.
During the last few months, we’ve taken a crash course in staying safe from the virus: wearing masks in public, washing our hands, wiping down counters frequently, refraining from touching our faces. Keep that up.
We should also be sure to continue to socially distance when we can, otherwise wear a mask.
This will help you find a level of comfort because you are doing your best to keep yourself and your family healthy. So much of our anxiety and stress comes from losing control, so you have to take control when you can to keep yourself and your family healthy.

2.  Let go of the worst-case scenario.
Block out the negativity—- to keep scary thoughts from infiltrating your brains? If it’s impossible to shake your biggest fear, write it down and make a note of everything you are doing to prevent it from happening. Take a few deep breaths. Be grateful of your health and practice staying positive.

3. Maintain your self-care routine.
It’s important you keep a schedule of self-care, This is not the time to give up the Zoom yoga practice you started while in quarantine or stop cooking those healthy meals at home.
Get outside when you can, make sure you are not socially isolating, meditate, and most importantly be kind to yourself. Have compassion and be patient with yourself. Our old ways of socializing and navigating at work is gone. Be patient with yourself as you adapt to this new normal.
And be flexible, as things are changing at work.