How to come back to work after a long absence? 3 tips

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This blog is written during a time that the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to be less restrictive, which means people are starting to go back to work little by little. The return from 3 months at home with your family or alone to an environment which is ‘the new normal’ will be strange for all of us, but it does not have to cause you any anxiety.

  1. Take it easy

You’ll be coming back to a place that is very familiar but different at the same time. There may be a few changes: you may have new colleagues or some who have unfortunately been made redundant, the desks are re-arranged to respect the distance, the schedules for a risk-free rotation may be set in place and so on. Give your time to re-integrate by taking advantage of the rotation: If you were working from home, you can, for example, ask for dividing your working days and keep 2 or 3 days per week at home.

A silver lining of Covid-19 is that it has definitely opened the minds of managers concerning remote work. Companies that were considering implementing remote work in their processes were forced to take action sooner than expected. We came more aware that remote work is not a fatality but can actually be a tool to enhance the well-being of employees.

Check out our blog on remote work!

  1. Enhance your daily habits

When the pandemic hit, you most likely had a dramatic change in daily routine and rituals. As time went on during lockdown, you formed new routines and rituals which you will want to integrate into this new normal state. Your health (physically, mentally, and spiritually) should always be your number one priority. Analyze your new routine and habits at work and focus on the ones that make you feel good and productive.

Examples of bad habits could be not having your emails or work well organized, you do not drink enough water, stopping exercising or getting up and away from the screen often enough. You’re back at work a new person, just like your colleagues- think of it as a re-set and new chapter. Share your new habits and experience, and don’t forget to get inspired by your colleagues’ new habits too!

  1. Ask for an exciting project

While you worked in the comfort of your home office, you might have had more time for breaks to think about the job you were doing. You may think that things have gone a bit bland, and with the pandemic has come the opportunity for change and learning to adapt. When you get back to the office, and you want to contribute in a new way, ask to start or integrate a new project that will give you the energy and motivation to make a great comeback. 

This project can be a new team, new tasks you’re not used to and so on. Be bold and do not hesitate to ask to work on new subjects you never had before. Learning new theories or skills is usually something that encourages people to be more open about work. You will see how this new project, knowledge and growth can impact your everyday job and career in the long term).

 

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck in your back to work journey!

Discover our other career care blogs to grow your career at your own pace : 10 tips to feel better in your work environment .

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IMPORTANT

We have recently been alerted about a potential threat. It has come to our attention that individuals are attempting to impersonate our organization, contacting job seekers via different social media channels, including Whatsapp and Messenger, with the purpose to exploit unsuspecting job seekers. Please stay alert, regarding unusual e-mail addresses as a sender or Whatsapp messages when the landcode is not +31 (landcode NL). Abroad Experience would never request any form of payment, including money, to assist you in your job search. Any such claims or demands made by individuals posing as representatives of our company are unequivocally false and not in accordance with Dutch law.

We remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of all applicants. Should you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our authorized representatives.

Here is a little reminder on how to avoid scammers: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/know-recruitment-fraud/