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Remote Workers Plan Return To Office Amid Anxiety

DENVER (CBS4)- If you're someone with a return-to-work date looming over your head, you might be a little anxious about leaving the comfort of your home and heading back to a work environment that has a lot of uncertainties. Re-establishing the routine may take some time, from having to wake up a little earlier, dealing with more traffic on your morning commute or even figuring out how to leave your pet at home during work hours.

laptop work from home Young woman working on desktop computer at home
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Jen Jackson, assistant program manager, licensed clinical social worker and licensed addiction at the Mental Health Center of Denver, says people are putting a lot of pressure on themselves with expectations while heading into this "new normal."

"I feel that people are nervous of expectations from others and judgments of others, and I think we need to understand that the judgments and expectations we have are self-imposed," Jackson explained. "So remember to be gentle with yourself as we reintegrate."

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(credit: Getty Images)

Jackson said it's important to remember that if you're feeling anxious about what's to come, you're not alone.

"I think validation on normalization in this regard is going to go a really long way. We are all having a really normal reaction to a long series of abnormal events," she explained. "And having a buddy system, chatting with that coworker 'Hey how are you feeling' and I promise you nobody is alone in this. Nobody has it figured out."

For information on resources with the Mental Health Center of Denver visit: https://mhcd.org/.

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