Return to Office Tips for Introverts: How I Survive Office Days

Every office day begins the same way.

The night before, I tell myself it will be fine. It’s only one day. I’ve done it plenty of times. I might even enjoy getting out of the house and seeing people.

Then my alarm goes off. I’m warm and comfortable in bed, and suddenly I’m trying to think of a believable reason why I absolutely cannot go to work today.

I work from home most days, but twice a week, I have to go into the office. If you’re an introvert returning to the office after getting used to remote or hybrid work, the occasional office day can somehow feel harder than going in every day. You would think doing it regularly would make it easier. Instead, my brain treats it like a major event rather than a normal part of my workweek.

The actual office day usually isn’t that bad. It’s the anticipation, the early alarm, the getting ready, the commute and the knowledge that I’m going to be visible to other human beings for several hours straight.

Working from home has spoiled me. I can drink my coffee while my computer starts up, get dressed when I’m ready, take a walk, stretch, eat whenever I want and hang out with my pets. I can even work outside in the backyard when the weather cooperates. Most importantly, no one is nearby listening to me stumble through a phone call or wondering why I’ve been staring at the same spreadsheet for ten minutes.

Going back into the office requires a little more effort, especially when you’ve gotten used to the quiet and flexibility of working from home.

So, if you’re looking for return-to-office tips for introverts, here is how I survive it.

In This Post

1. The First Few Weeks Back Are a Lot

2. Handling Office Socializing

3. Protect Your Social Battery

4. Make Your Office Morning Less Terrible

5. Plan for the Post-Office Crash

6. The Office Is Not All Bad

The First Few Weeks Back Are a Lot

I started working for my company the same week COVID sent everyone home, so I never really had a normal office routine in the first place.

I met people through Teams calls and emails, got very comfortable working from home and then eventually had to start showing up in person like, Oh. Right. You all actually exist..

Even now, because I only go into the office a couple of days a week, it can feel more like an event than a normal workday.

And when you first go back, people are everywhere.

People you have not seen in months want to catch up. Someone stops by your desk. Then someone else stops by your desk. There are “Welcome back!” conversations and hallway conversations and conversations that somehow begin while you are just trying to refill your water bottle.

You do not have to catch up with everyone immediately.

Say hi. Talk to the people you are genuinely happy to see. Let some conversations happen later.

Your first week back does not need to become a networking event you forgot to prepare for.

Eventually, the office starts feeling less like a major production and more like somewhere you have to wear shoes.

The Social Side of Returning to the Office

Waking up and getting ready are probably the hardest parts of an office day for me, but the social side is a close second.

My office has unassigned desks in an open space with half cubicles, so depending on when I arrive, I may end up sitting in the front or near people I barely know.

This creates the perfect introvert dilemma.

People are talking around me, and I start wondering whether I look shy or antisocial. Then I wonder whether they think I dislike them. Then I become so distracted by wondering whether I should say something that I have absolutely no idea what I would say.

I like people. I like my coworkers. I just don’t always know how to jump into conversations, especially when my brain is still loading for the day.

My team makes office days much easier. I am very reserved until I get to know someone, and then I don’t shut up. Being around people I’m already comfortable with helps me relax and remember that I do, in fact, know how to socialize.

When I’m not feeling particularly talkative, I smile, listen and do my best.

Introversion does not mean you dislike everyone. It just means that interaction uses energy, including the conversations you are not actually participating in.

Have an Exit Line Ready

Sometimes starting a conversation is not the hard part. It is figuring out how to leave one without feeling like I am being rude.

I am very capable of standing there longer than I want to because I cannot think of a normal way to end the conversation.

So I keep it simple.

• The hallway trap: “I should probably get back to this, but it was good talking to you.”

• The water-cooler escape: “I’m going to grab some water and get back to my desk.”

• The actual-work excuse: “I need to finish this before my next meeting, but I’ll catch you later.”

That is about as polished as I get.

I do not need a dramatic excuse. I just need a sentence that gets me out of the conversation before I reach the point where I am still nodding but my brain has completely left the building.

Most people are at work too. They understand that eventually someone has to stop talking and go back to whatever project they were pretending not to hate.

Protect Your Social Battery

An open office can make it feel like part of your brain is paying attention to everything at once.

There are conversations happening nearby, phones ringing, people walking past your desk and the constant awareness that someone could speak to you at any moment.

Even when I’m focused on my own work, part of my brain is still monitoring everything around me.

Headphones help tremendously. I can listen to music, a podcast or an audiobook while creating a little bubble around myself. They also provide a polite visual signal that I’m concentrating and may not be available for a surprise conversation.

Pick the Quietest Desk You Can

We do not have assigned desks at my office, so where I end up sitting depends partly on when I get there.

Sometimes that is fine. Sometimes it means sitting in the middle of people I barely know while my introvert brain immediately becomes aware of every conversation happening within a 20-foot radius.

If I have a choice, I would much rather sit somewhere a little out of the way or near people I already know are fairly quiet.

I do not need complete silence. I just do not want to feel like I accidentally chose the office equivalent of a busy intersection.

If your office uses hot desks too, it is worth figuring out which spots feel the least chaotic. And if those desks disappear first, getting there a little earlier may be worth it just so you are not spending the next eight hours regretting where you sat.

Use Office Days for the Work That Actually Needs People

I used to think office days were a good time to save quieter tasks because I could just put my headphones on and focus.

That would be great if offices were quiet. Mine is not.

If I already have to be there, I would rather use that time for the stuff that actually makes sense to do around other people: meetings, 1-on-1s, quick questions and anything that is easier to talk through than type out.

Then when I am working from home, I can actually enjoy the fact that nobody is talking next to me while I am trying to concentrate.

Obviously, I do not control every meeting on my calendar. But when I have a choice, putting the more people-heavy stuff on office days makes the whole schedule feel a little less random.

It also means I am not sitting at home in perfect silence while spending a bunch of time on calls.

Find Somewhere Quiet for Five Minutes

Taking a short break alone can help too. Eat lunch by yourself, sit somewhere quiet for a few minutes or step outside if your office has somewhere walkable nearby.

Mine does not, which is one thing I really miss about working from home. At home, I can go for a walk or stretch whenever my body starts feeling stiff. At the office, I tend to work straight through, which leaves me mentally tired and physically creaky by the end of the day.

If my brain feels completely full, sometimes I just need a few minutes where nobody is talking to me and nothing is happening around me.

If you cannot go outside, look for the quietest place you can realistically disappear for a few minutes. That might be an empty stairwell, an unused conference room or your car.

You do not need to do anything productive while you are there. Sit quietly. Breathe. Stare at your phone if you want. The point is just to give your brain a break from conversations, movement and the constant possibility that someone is about to ask you something.

Tiny breaks still count, even when all you do is refill your water bottle and stare at a wall for a minute.

Bonus: Make Your Office Morning Less Terrible

Office Day Starts the Night Before

My office-day dread normally begins when I’m already in bed.

I remember that I need to wake up earlier, get fully dressed, do my hair, pack everything I need and sit in traffic for anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

For some reason, one office morning feels like it requires more preparation than an entire work-from-home week.

I used to let that realization ruin the rest of my night. I would start calculating how many hours of sleep I could still get and imagining how tired I was going to be.

Eventually, I realized that dreading it wasn’t going to get me out of it.

Stressing about it in advance only means I experience the office day twice: once in my imagination and once in real life.

The buildup is almost always worse than the actual day. I try to remember that when my brain starts acting like tomorrow morning is an approaching natural disaster.

Make the Morning Easier on Yourself

I wish I could tell you that I carefully prepare everything the night before.

I do not.

My office is casual, so my outfit is usually jeans, a hoodie and Converse. In the morning, I throw a granola bar and a banana into my bag, fill my water bottle, make coffee and grab something easy for breakfast.

This system technically works, but it also leaves plenty of room for error.

I have forgotten my work laptop before.

I was already about 15 minutes into my commute when I realized it, which is not what you want to discover when you still have another 30 to 45 minutes of driving ahead of you.

So, although I do not always follow my own advice, preparing a few things the night before really does help.

The “PLEASE DON’T FORGET YOUR LAPTOP” Checklist

• Laptop and charger

• Keys and badge

• Headphones

• Water bottle

• Breakfast or snacks

• An outfit ready to go

The fewer choices you have to make in the morning, the less likely you are to spend ten minutes wandering around the house half-awake asking, “Where did I put it?”

Apparently, eliminating unnecessary decisions is kind of my thing. It’s also why I let a bag choose my next book.

Don’t Let the Morning Drain You Before Work Starts

My alarm is normally set for 6:30.

It goes off a few times because lying there convinced I still have plenty of time is part of my morning routine.

Then my husband needs to get ready for work, I look at the clock, and suddenly the morning has become an emergency.

Urgency is unfortunately one of my most effective motivators.

Ideally, I would wake up, drink coffee, eat breakfast, sit quietly for a few minutes and leave the house feeling calm and put together.

In reality, I have absolutely let my hair air-dry during the commute and thrown it into a ponytail in the parking lot.

Waking up a little earlier does make the morning calmer, even if I am not thrilled about it.

The goal is not to become someone who joyfully leaps out of bed at sunrise. It is just to avoid arriving at work feeling like you have already completed a full shift.

Pack an Office Survival Bag

Office temperatures seem to have two settings: aggressively cold or weirdly warm.

There is no middle ground.

I always bring a sweater, headphones, snacks, a water bottle, a phone charger, gum and lip balm. None of these things are exciting, but together they make the day significantly more tolerable.

Basically, pack whatever keeps you warm, fed, hydrated and happier to be there.

Plan for the Post-Office Crash (and Bribe Yourself)

One of the easiest ways to make an office day more manageable is to give yourself something to look forward to.

It does not need to be expensive or elaborate. Sometimes, all I need is knowing I can hang out in the hammock with my dog when I get home. Listen to music during the commute. Pick up coffee. Get lunch from somewhere you like. Plan takeout for dinner so you do not have to come home and start cooking.

My drive can take up to an hour, but listening to music makes it feel less like wasted time. On the way home, I usually turn it up and let myself decompress before I get there.

Because by the time I get home, I’m usually done.

After an office day, I feel mentally fatigued and physically stiff. It does not necessarily mean anything went wrong. I may have had a productive day, enjoyed seeing my coworkers and felt good about getting fully ready and leaving the house.

I’m still exhausted afterward.

That is usually my sign not to schedule errands, a hard workout, dinner plans and three household projects for the same night.

Sometimes I just need a little alone time. If your brain is done but you still want something better than scrolling, these low-energy hobbies are made for tired weeknights.

You do not need to earn rest by having the worst day of your life. Sometimes you are simply tired because you spent several hours commuting, concentrating, making conversation and sitting under fluorescent lights.

My brain has been available and visible all day. It needs a minute.

The Office Is Not All Bad

Despite everything I’ve just said, I don’t actually hate every part of going into the office.

I like seeing the coworkers I’m close to, and some conversations are just easier face-to-face than over email or chat.

Leaving the house can improve my mood too. I get fully dressed, listen to music in the car and have a clearer separation between work and home.

Which is probably proof that the grass is always greener. When I’m home, getting out sounds nice. When I’m at the office, I’m counting down until I can go home.

I can enjoy seeing my team and still need silence afterward. I can have a productive office day and still prefer working from the house.

You Made It. Now Go Recharge

I may never become someone who wakes up excited to put on real pants, drive an hour and make small talk before 9 a.m.

That is okay.

The goal is not to force yourself to love office days. It is just to make them manageable enough that you do not spend the entire night before questioning all of your life choices.

Prepare what you can ahead of time. Bring headphones and snacks. Find at least one person you feel comfortable with. Take small breaks when your brain starts feeling crowded. Plan something relaxing for when you get home.

You do not need to become more social, more energetic or a fluorescent lighting enthusiast.

Most importantly, remember that the anticipation is usually worse than the actual day. You have survived every office day so far.

And when it’s over, you can go home, change into comfortable clothes and be unavailable for the rest of the evening.

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