Re-Entry Anxiety

Beating Re-Entry Anxiety

The original astronauts used to float around Earth in a capsule all by themselves. Orbiting around the Earth every 90 minutes at 17,500 mph, they would have had plenty of time to reflect on the planet below while remaining at a safe distance from burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere. At times, lockdown has felt a bit like being in a space capsule, alone and isolated. As we prepare to return to the workplace, how do we ensure a safe landing back on planet Earth? Let’s call it re-entry anxiety. Sure, we just finished getting over our lockdown anxiety but here is what have we learnt working from home that can be brought to the office and help ease the transition.

Mindfulness

It feels at times this is the most overused term in wellness. But, practised on a regular basis, it works! We swear by the Daily Calm led by the amazing Tamara Levitt, the head of content for the Calm App. The session is 12 minutes and can be done anywhere you can find a quiet place to sit. If you would prefer to read more about the movement, we would recommend reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the classic guide. It’s a short book and gives the reader an initial understanding of how to be more present. As the author puts it: “once one has realized relaxation, it is possible to realize a tranquil heart and clear mind”.

Work Music

We discovered some amazing music curated on the Calm App too. Our favourite picks from lockdown were the Kygo album Golden Hour with some amazing piano tracks to promote spirituality and creativity. Our green medal goes to the surprisingly addictive 1.5 hours of heavy rain (Rain on Leaves – extended version) curated by none other than NBA superstar Lebron James. Go for a walk on a sunny day and put on the heavy rain track, the dissonance is awakening! You can try this music now. It’s a great way to distance oneself if you’re having a temporary moment re-entry anxiety.

Slow down

Remember those few weeks where there seemed to be a zoom chat every night? They were great, but we also learnt to balance it out by keeping a few evenings free for reflection. As those zoom chats turn into after work events, try to keep some of those evenings free for “you time”. It’s also quite good for the bank account. In addition, a proper night’s sleep positively impacts our mood.

As simple as it sounds, take time to slow down at work. This does not mean doing less, it means saying no to more requests to stop overloading yourself. Take a proper lunch break, mediate, take walk breaks and swerve those after work drinks on a Tuesday.

Worry time

When you find yourself worrying about hypothetical worries a useful technique is to use “worry time”. Worry time is giving yourself time to worry, but at a time that you choose and are more in control of during the day. When you are worrying it can distract your focus away from what you are doing in the present moment onto future concerns. This can keep you in that vicious cycle of worry and prevents you from feeling fully able to enjoy what you are doing.

We have tried worry time and found it be an effective strategy for dealing with worry-induced stress. Try it yourself. Pick a “worry” period with a set time, place, and length of time (15-20 minutes). When you notice yourself worrying during the day, write it down briefly, make the decision not to worry right then, but instead to postpone the worry to your “worry time”. You might just find it clears your mind and allows you to stay focused and content on the task at hand.

Reflection

We are in the middle of a moment in history that will be dissected and analysed for decades. We are not going back to “normal”. There is a new normal. Reflect on what you have learnt and try not to get dragged into your old ways of thinking. Wrap your arms around change and do not forget to smile every once and a while! Take ownership, be positive and encourage others to do the same. A positive attitude is contagious and best of all it attracts people who want to help you.

Stay Healthy

Daily walks, drinking more water, eating fresh food. These are all things we did more of during the lockdown. Life can grind us down, so do not forget to look after yourself. A few simple adjustments can make a big impact and over time these small adjustments add up. We even found time to sample more products to add to our regular wellness routine. Supporting immunity in a time like this is an absolute must, too. Here were our top three picks to help de-stress, regenerate and immunise your re-entry.

Daily A-Zinc Gummies with CBD from Kannaswiss, £34.99

A common complaint about CBD oil tinctures is the difficulty administering the correct dosage. KannaSwiss solve the problem with the best tasting gummies we have ever tried. Each A-Zinc SoftGum contains 10mg of CBD as well as a rich dose of vitamins and minerals, including zinc. Zinc helps to keep the immune system strong. Furthermore, it can help reduce the duration of the common cold and reduce the risk of infections.

Edible products like CBD gummies can often come with a “hemp” like flavour. It’s an acquired taste. However, these SoftGums pop with a lime flavour that straddles the border of sour and mellow. A tamper-proof cap ensures younger people in the household cannot get access to the container, too. Take the recommended 2 gummies a day and the CBD dosage provides just enough to promote calmness. This alongside the immunity boosting blend of vitamins and minerals which accounts for 30% of the suggested daily intake. We love these convenient and tasty health boosters.

Ashwagandha Golden Balance from Wunder Workshop, £17.50

We discovered this wonderful brand and could not wait to bring it to GreenBox. It goes without saying that this brand is all organic and sustainably sourced. We tried a sample of their best sellers and we were blown away by the Golden Balance. It’s a rich blend of organic ashwagandha and turmeric. Both plant based extracts have converts all over the planet. From Meghan Markle and Jennifer Anniston to Victoria Beckham who apparently indulges in turmeric shots. Ashwagandha is rich in iron which can improve alertness. Additionally, it strengthens the body’s response to stress and anxiety by reducing adrenal fatigue and helps stabilise thyroid hormones. We think it’s an ideal product to consider now, particularly if you are aware of re-entry anxiety.

Wunder Workshop suggests adding the Golden Balance ashwagandha powder to a daily smoothie or juice. We add it to our English breakfast tea and found the warm aromas of turmeric calming and contemplative. We noticed after a few days of daily use our focus and concentration enhanced. It allowed us to come up with more creative conversations and remember things more clearly.

Nature’s Balm from Infinity CBD, £24.99

We took full advantage of our daily allowable exercise during lockdown clocking over 200km of runs in April alone. Unfortunately, this led to quite a few sore muscles and achy ankles. We started applying The Infinity CBD Nature’s Balm to our knees and ankles. The scent of this balm is almond which is a welcome change from the other medicinal smelling salves and balms on the markets. It has 300mg of broad-spectrum CBD, which is a high dosage for this category. The product also comes with Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that may help reduce free radical damage and slow the ageing process of your cells. The product applies easily and is not too greasy and we noticed an improvement within a few days of using the CBD balm.

Let’s beat re-entry anxiety together. We hope our tips were useful and, as always, we are always here for a chat to help you on your wellness mission.