“I can’t fathom how I’ll go back to working in the office. I just finished fully adjusting to working from home,” my client Alana, a vice president of marketing, said with a troubled look on her face. She sighed deeply and continued, “My biggest worry though, is how to handle the emotions of my team. Everyone is so anxious and worried — and it’s starting to take a toll on morale, and me.”
Re-Entry Stress Is Contagious. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.
Six strategies for managers.
October 12, 2021
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Summary.
Protecting against re-entry stress is something all managers need to be mindful of, since absorbing direct reports’ emotions will only fuel greater angst and perpetuate a vicious cycle of fear. The author offers strategies to avoid being an emotional sponge while still being empathetic to your team’s needs and concerns: 1) Take your emotional temperature. 2) Visualize a boundary. 3) Empathize, don’t internalize. 4) Practice co-regulation. 5) Be a resilience booster. 6) Have a way to cleanse the day.
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How to build resilience at work.
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New!
HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Stress Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Stress Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build resilience at work.