Last month, I swiped my employee ID to enter my high-rise office building for the first time after six months of working from home (WFH). Pre-Covid, I spent five days a week, eight hours a day at a very stereotypical office setting. On March 16th, my company asked all employees to WFH as Covid cases were climbing in New York City.  At first, the switch to full-time WFH was welcomed during the cold, gray, slushy days of March but after a few months, it started to wear me down. Zoom Fatigue is a real thing!

Fast forward to mid-September in New York City where the curve was successfully flattened, infection rates are low, schools are partially reopened, and indoor dining is finally allowed again-- positive signs that life as we knew it may be returning soon.

As corporate America begins to encourage the return of their employees to the office, they reiterate that the decision is voluntary and should be done as safely as possible.

Here are five surprising observations from my first day back at the office:

1. Everyone followed the rules

   My colleagues were respectful of the social distancing rules and I liked that my floor had plenty of wipes and sanitizer to keep workstations clean. Subtle differences I noticed were that the reusable cups swapped for disposable paper cups in the pantry and the cleaning staff made more frequent rounds to wipe down frequently touched surfaces. Our elevator doesn’t have an occupancy limit but has been sectioned off with tape on the floor to encourage people to stand far apart and avoid overcrowding.

2. BYO Lunch + Snacks

   While I saw a few coffee shops open, lunch options were pretty limited as many fast casual restaurants are still closed. I plan to bring in sandwiches or salads that do not require the use of a microwave so it’s one less shared item I need to touch. I also noticed that the vending machines were emptied on our floor.

3. Business Casual...extra Casual

   My office tends to lean more business casual than the average financial firm but everyone was in jeans and there was not a suit in sight! This is pretty rare for the finance world and may change over time as client meetings resume. It’s been pretty fun to plan my outfits for work and bring the workwear back to the forefront of my closet. #hardpants are back.
   

4. Less quiet than WFH yet still too quiet

   My floor has over a hundred desks and only about ten were occupied on my first day back with everyone spaced out and at pre-assigned seats. While there was slightly more chatter and background noise compared to my apartment, I found that the sparse floor made me feel more self-conscious when speaking on the phone.
   

5. There will be an adjustment period

   This may change over time but the sheer excitement of being able to chit chat with colleagues in person had me feeling a bit distracted. My focus wavered as I listened to conversations happening around me. In the late afternoon, I craved fresh air and so I made it a point to go and take a quick walk around the block which allowed me to refocus. By the time the day was done, I felt more exhausted than I usually do.

I thought long and hard about what will make me feel ready to go back to the office. First, I considered the safety and wellbeing of the people around me. Living alone and within walking distance to my office, I felt assured that I wouldn’t put my loved ones at risk. Second, I wanted to understand my company’s reopening procedures to ensure the office was as safe.  Lastly, I wanted to have the flexibility to change my mind at any time, especially if cases rise.

Prior to Covid-19, I loved being in the office for a number of reasons but mainly because it’s more efficient, productive, and there’s a camaraderie that can’t be replicated at home. I desperately missed the social interaction that happens in the conference room, the hallways, and on coffee runs. Most importantly, I felt like I could turn my brain “off” when I left the office. I noticed that working from home totally destroyed my work-life balance, which seems counterintuitive, right? With the computer just inches away, there was an expectation that everyone was available at all times. 

Overall, returning to the office was great and I would recommend it to anyone who feels comfortable. It felt wonderful to get back to a familiar routine. I loved getting dressed in the morning, sitting in a comfortable chair at a real desk with double monitors -- I was even excited to use a printer. The change of scenery made the workweek go faster and broke up the otherwise monotonous WFH routine. 

But for me, the best part was ending the day at the office, walking into my apartment, and leaving the workday behind. It was the little things I took for granted that brought back a sense of normalcy and helped restore work-life balance, if only for a day or two.