“So, there’s a mix of anxiety and some excitement and you find yourself thinking about the things we are going to be able to do, feeling the anxiety…” ~ ER
You may be excited to return to the office and also feel anxious about those long boring meetings or you now remember that it was a toxic environment for several reasons.
Or you are just dreading the commutes and rush hour…and also excited to dress up again and go out for lunch with your work family!
You may have built a comfortable home, work and life routine and it feels like an upheaval is coming…
Excited for the concerts and concerned about the crowds. Stampede?
Whatever the internal experience, one thing is for sure, we are likely to have some mixed feelings. And if you can’t tell them apart, don’t worry, it can feel like you are drinking from a firehose. Here are some ways to process:
- Embrace the excitement and the apprehension, the relief and the joy!
- Debrief your experiences; talk to a spouse, friend or acquaintance and share a little piece of your day.
- Journal or post on social media. Writing can be just as or even more effective than talking and allows you to think, edit and get creative.
- Move that body! Exercise, walks, yoga and activity can be a great way to shake off the day, workout thoughts or enhance and deepen feelings
- Capture the experience in a memorial; find a way you will want to remember the experiences you are having. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then an object, a party, or a project are worth a million!
And finally, remember to turn it off, set aside time apart for yourself and have quiet stillness at home, in the woods on the road and just be. Reflect, meditate and be grateful.