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For many professionals, returning to the office can be anxiety-producing, especially after a year and a half of working remotely. And as with any period of transition, it’s natural to feel some amount of hesitation and anxiety.
“Love and work…work and love, that’s all there is” -Sigmund Freud
Therapy can help with this transition. Psychodynamic therapy is not only for addressing interpersonal and relationship issues, it can also be hugely beneficial for addressing post COVID work-related concerns. For example, many individuals in business face a unique set of challenges and stressors specific to their work such as making sure their company runs smoothly to being an effective member of a board of directors.
A recent survey showed that 90% of executives in the United States experience the following mental health issues:
• Fear of failure
• Anxiety around revenue growth
• Pressures around establishing a work-life balance
• Depression
• Anxiety
Mental health issues that are avoided can negatively affect our behaviors, thought processes and our relationships. For instance, it can reduce our productively, negatively impact our relationships with co-workers, and diminish our ability to function professionally.
Below are three tips to help keep your anxiety in check and make your transition to work post COVID as smooth as possible.
1. Keep an open mind. Making the decision to address your mental health is not something to be ashamed of. The goal of therapy is to help you perform your best both in your professional and personal life.
2. It’s OK to ask for help. For many professionals, such as a CEO, CFO, and medical and healthcare worker asking for help might feel “wrong’ or like a “failure” of some sort. In fact, just the thought of asking for help might not feel permissible. However, keeps in mind that finding the right help is often eye opening.
3. Prioritize your mental health. Our mental health is based on many factors. For example, a person’s constitution, genetics, and attachment style. And knowing how to take care for our emotional health is not a skill we are simply born knowing. Rather it’s something we are taught by example usually from our parents and other significant caretakers. Committing to self-care practices such as regular exercise, getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet have been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and improve our productivity.
Related: College Students Around the Main Line Adjust to School Amid COVID
