Blog 1:

Going back to the office after covid

For over a year, a majority of individuals have been working remotely because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. For most people working at home or away from the office has become
their new norm. With vaccinations becoming available around the United States and the world
restrictions revolved around the pandemic are becoming lifted and more people can go back to
their pre-pandemic routines. One of the biggest changes is now being able to go back to work
and back into the office. There are numerous benefits for people who can go back into the office,
but there are also precautions and changes that have been made that not everyone is
fundamentally used to.
Some individuals relish the idea of collaborating with colleagues in person and swapping
their makeshift home office on their kitchen table for a dedicated workspace. Many individuals
are looking forward to reconnecting with others and possessing a sense of normalcy in the
workplace. Some major benefits of returning to the office are rebuilding social connections and
curbing the loneliness many people have experienced during lockdown. Additionally, working in
the office offers fewer distractions that reduce individual’s productivity and offers them a firmer
boundary between work and home life.
Although many people are excited to return to work it is normal for people to experience
social anxiety when thinking about going back to the office and interacting with co-workers.
Rashmi Parmar, MD, adult and child psychiatrist with Community Psychiatry says that it is
important for workers to “start connecting with individuals or smaller groups of people first
before moving on to interactions with an entire team.” She believes that a key to having a strong
transition back into the office is to “start building a support network at work again and
specifically prioritize spending time with coworkers who are supportive and get along well with
you.” Every employee going back into the office does need to keep in mind that the safety
precautions of the pandemic upended social norms, like shaking hands. It is important for
employees to figure out what feels comfortable to them and develop a plan to respect their
personal boundaries and the boundaries of others so that everyone feels safe.
It is common for people who have spent the last year working from home to stress about
the change of returning to work. The return to the office can feel overwhelming at times so
practicing self-care can also help individuals cope with the change. “Start getting into the routine
of a regular workday a week beforehand to allow a smoother transition,” Dr. Parmar suggests. It
is important to follow a healthy routine with timely meals, consistent sleep timings, adequate
physical activity, relaxation time. Everyone returning to the office needs to remember to not put
pressure on themselves to perform at peak-pandemic levels right away.
While a great deal of uncertainty still surrounds the topic of returning to work many
believe that the return to the office won’t be as simple as flipping a switch. It takes time,
readjustment, and a life change. It is key to remember that not everything in the office will be the
same but there are still benefits to being face to face. Remember to be flexible, calm, and have a
positive attitude while making the transition back into the office.

https://www.verywellmind.com/going-back-to-the-office-after-the-pandemic-5180873
Blog 2:
Perfection is the enemy of progress – prioritize focus, the right things.

Too often, people mistake progress for perfection. They spend more time staring at the
weeds than they do assessing the forest. They get lost in the details instead of asking whether
their work is moving them in the right direction. And most of all, they are confused about the
meaning of “done.” It’s not about getting it perfect. It’s about getting it out the door, and then
adjusting from there. Individuals need to remember that mistakes will happen, and missteps will
occur. It’s the momentum that matters and ensuring that time is not wasted obsessing over the
little things that won’t end up moving the needle anyway.
In today’s business environment, where things are changing constantly, “speed of
execution is a lot more important than perfect execution.” Certain situations, problems, or
proposals change at such a fast rate that while some may be trying to create a perfect solution an
entire situation could have already shifted. Make the solution well done or good enough to send
out and improve on feedback. Think of it as a fail fast mindset, individuals are not going to get
everything perfect on the first try. By failing people learn that a new route to the situation
appears or they even become refocused on the situation at hand. Remember, growth and comfort
do not coexist. In order to grow individual’s need to take risks, evolve, and often times fail,
never being absolutely perfect.
It is important to focus on the process, and not the final product. When people put too
much emphasis on the final product, they can fall into the trap of idolizing the end result. They
begin to imagine it as the perfect end, which isn’t what it’s supposed to be, nor is it what will
most likely take shape. See, when people focus on the process instead of the final product, they
allow themself room to adjust and learn as they go. Expecting to have the final result perfectly in
mind from the outset is a mistake. One of the best things to do is set strict deadlines. Not only set
them but stick to them. Once an individual starts to postpone their work it continues to be not
good enough in their mind. What people need to remember is that every day comes with
improvements. Tomorrow’s idea will always get better. As days go on individuals realize what
they need to change or make better.