How to Prepare for Your Eventual Return to the Office

As recently as two months ago, the 5-mile drive from the heart of Washington, DC, to my home in Arlington, Virginia, consistently took less than 10 minutes door-to-door, even in the middle of rush hour. As more employers require workers to return to the office—even if it’s just a few times a week—it’s likely that all the annoying aspects of our pre-pandemic life will start creeping back into our lives—hectic morning routines, traffic, encounters with annoying colleagues, limited time to pick up groceries, and even less time to exercise. “We were able to get rid of the annoyances of commuting and being in an office environment, where we have to accommodate our coworkers’ perspectives and goals.” In fact, during the pandemic, we spent less time driving to the office or around town to do errands and more time pursuing our personal passions. “Not only are our routines being disrupted again, but we’re reentering work and school while there is still a tremendous sense of uncertainty,” says Michele Nealon, president of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. “Employees need to accept the fact that whatever the rules are for going back to the office now—for instance, two days week, with masks—it will likely change over time,” says Nancy Halpern, founder of Political IQ, a New York City–based management consulting firm that helps organizations resolve office politics.