On my morning walks in Riverside Park, there is a homeless man who kneels in meditation, his shopping cart next to him full of his possessions. This man is so perfectly still. His energy seems to emanate so that when I walk by, I automatically slow down like I’ve entered some energy vortex.
Around the man people walk by. Some slowly, waking up. Some walking their dogs. Some on a high-powered morning run.
I wonder if those people, headed to another day of hard work, determined to earn whatever it is we all seem to think will make life complete, know what this man seems to know.
You don’t have to accomplish anything to deserve peace.
With the return to office life on the horizon, one thing is clear. Even if remote work was harder on many levels, it also gave us a measure of autonomy that many enjoyed. Working from home lets you have more control over your boundaries, a greater sense of choice, in some ways more dignity and peace.
So if there’s someone who drives you crazy but you could avoid because you were home, this is for you. Or if there’s a constant barrage of work flowing to you but you don’t know how to push back on your boss, or find five minutes to prioritize it all, this is for you.
What can you do to enjoy healthy boundaries when you head back to the office?
- Choose that you deserve peace. In any chaotic situation, there has to be a starting point that shifts the energy. What better place to start than with your peace and dignity.
- Listen to your intuition. You don’t have to follow it blindly, but slowing down to give your intuition air time lets you understand what you want and need.
- Be with your feelings. Frustration, jealousy, etc. We often make one person or situation the target of feelings that are not really about them. Sitting with feelings is a great way to understand their true source.
- Know the voice of your inner critic. When the inner critic says, “don’t be difficult” (or whatever yours says) and we let someone cross a line, it’s a fast path to frustration.
- Forgive. Yourself, others, the situation. Holding on to blame only makes the situation continue. Seeing the humanity in one another gives you a common ground to move forward.
It may take some effort to get back to playing nicely when we return to the office. It may even take effort while we are still working from remote! Give yourself time.
Have a great week,
Claire