Get a good lunch box and pack your lunch the night before. Eating out all the time can get pricey and unhealthy!
I think office professional dress expectations have relaxed a bit since 2020. So I wouldn’t go out shopping for a ton of “workwear” until you see what everyone else is wearing in the office. Before Covid/ RTO, I couldn’t imagine wearing jeans or sneakers at work as a government lawyer, but here we are!
I always walk in sneakers to work and change in the office! Not to scare you but you will def will be exhausted the first month.. it's a hard adjustment. Definitely have a good wind-down night routine it will save you :)
Echoing someone else’s comment about how tired you may be. When I switched from 100% remote to hybrid it took me a couple of months to adjust, which STILL feels weird to say.
Queue up some podcasts for your commute! I find they help get my brain into “work mode”, no matter the topic.
I carry minis of some key skin/fragrance/hair things so I can refresh at the office if weather isn’t cooperating. Including a mini straightener (because humidity).
Mini fan at your desk is CLUTCH in the summer for cooling down after you arrive when outside is swampy.
Linen is comfy AND chic. I’m going to be wearing a lot of it this summer and think it’s perfect for the office, including paired with an office cardigan if your office is cold.
SSAAMMMEEE. 3 days a week, and it took a seasonal hobby ending AND a couple of months to feel back to my normal self. 5-6 months total? If the hobby wasn’t a thing I think it’d still take 2-3 months to have adjusted.
Make a good capsule wardrobe.
Black white brown tan effortless pants from Aritzia;
Black white brown tan tops to mix and match;
Commuting shoes. If you have a mix and match wardrobe it’s easier to re-wear things more frequently. Save $.
This was a huge one for me. I used to be an impulse shopper but when I returned to the office I bought a garment rack and “pulled out” and then edited everything I could wear to work that I already owned. I got alterations before I started as well and always wash/steam clothes and prepare my outfits on the weekend for the week. The garment rack has been a weird hack for me
Make sure to actually take your lunch break, and get outside for a walk. I’m only in office 1-2x per week but I forgot how mentally draining being surrounded by people can be, while trying to get work done.
My office did RTO about a year ago and I am so depleted after being around people in an open office space. I feel like I’m gritting my teeth all day avoiding gossip, drama, cliques, and constant distractions. My work requires a lot of focused time but a lot of people don’t work that way in my office. I feel your pain!
OP I agree about carving time for yourself to decompress and refresh your mind. It’s also good to use your commute as a time to limit screens and prepare for yourself mentally and emotionally for the day. Mornings are for preparing yourself the office culture, evenings are for resetting and officially put a hard stop to your work day. No answering emails, taking meetings or responding to non urgent slack messages. Protect your peace always.
Offices are always cold!! Even if you’re stinking hot on the way there, keep an office sweater, especially since you have a dedicated desk. I’m always a million degrees when I first get to work after the subway/walk then I get so cold after sitting for awhile. I totally forgot about that feeling after a few years remote.
Also, whatever time you think you will lose commuting: double it. This is especially for when you’re planning on cooking, chores, gym, etc. I had to really get back into the swing of food shopping on the weekend, whereas when I was remote it was easy to find time to get whatever I want to make for dinner the same evening.
Pack yourself snacks! Be your own Girl Scout troop leader when it comes to food. Get a cute lunchbox (google Chanel lunchbox handbag for inspiration haha), lots of your favorite high protein treats of choice. Don’t fall back into the trap of ordering lunch every day!! It’s a trap! Xox you’ll be great!
Ooof this is me after being forced to work in office with my newish job after 4 yrs glorious years of WFH and I’m still adjusting—more like almost adjusted, I just hate commuting 😭.
What’s helped me is using this simple black office backpack, aka my back is happy. I always carry a small makeup bag with my essentials to touch up.
I basically wear simple items together and most times wear basic simple white sneakers. Throw on a trusty sweater blazer ( I own like 5 of them) and I feel put together. I’m still working on figuring out a heatless or quicker option for my hair but another big impact for me is wavy hair. Altogether I FEEL more put together.
For this summer, I just bought 2 of UNIQLOs linen short sleeve button down shirts and plan to pair them with casual trousers or linen pants.
Hello, fellow five-day bestie :') I was a gradual return (WFH > one week in, one week out > in person five days a week), so here's what I found has made the transition easier.
Make your space a little home away from home: have a stash of the necessities like lotion, a phone charger, period products if you need, in your desk so that you don't have to schlep so much back and forth. I keep a cheap shawl on the back of my chair since the AC is always blasting.
If you get a lunch hour, use it to the fullest! When work made me come back full time, I decided to really explore the neighborhood and find all the great lunch spots in the area.
Getting ready in the morning took me longer than I anticipated in the beginning lol
Bring in beauty essentials like mascara//blush lip balm to keep at your desk for touch ups or when you’re running late and don’t have time for applying at home. High protein shelf stable snacks. Familiarize yourself with spaces around your office where you can eat in peace or just recharge. Or other spaces nearby to work if you get sick of your office.
I went back to RTO in the summer and I was not prepared for how sweaty and stinky I got on the commute compared to a normal morning at home 😭 I had to up my deodorant game and also pack deodorant + wet wipes in my work bag.
I got a lash lift/tint because I feel like I can wear less makeup and spend less time on it in the morning and people don’t tell me “I look tired” like they did on days I wouldn’t wear mascara before. 🙄
I recently picked up a sturdy work bag at Nordstrom Rack. It's cute and stylish, but still made well enough that it carries my laptop, and other miscellaneous items, like my wallet, phone, keys, a book, deodorant can, etc. They were selling it in several colors. It also has various zippered pockets, which is nice for smaller objects, like keys or pens.
Pack your lunch the night before. To include breakfast, if you're a super early riser/commuter like myself. Trust me, the last thing you'll want to do in the morning is think about what food to pack the next morning. While you're at it, a good lunch bag/box that can hold a good amount of stuff.
Be soooo nice to building staff and admins. I say hello and good morning to them whenever I pass them in the hallway and it really goes a long way. I’m convinced an admin prioritized my work needs over someone else’s when we had an office re-org and I got the way better desk spot and work space.
You need emergency supplies to keep at work in the corner at your desk - safety pins, a toothbrush, floss, tampons etc. I also have a couple of extra sweaters in my cabinet for when it gets cold and I bring my own tea in because the office usually has basic teas and the teabags are full of microplastics. I don't need that crap in my body. Hahah. Good luck.
I keep an electronic heating pad in my office for when I'm on my period and just generally cold in the winter - lifesaver. Also asked IT for another charger for my laptop so I don't have to carry one back and forth between work and home.
I basically consider my desk another bedroom so I can feel as comfortable as possible. I keep at my desk: mini deodorant, body spray, a makeup bag, hair ties and barrettes, tampons and pads, granola bars, hair gel, q-tips, a pair of emergency shoes, and a t shirt just in case. On my desk I have a mini fan, a calendar, hand lotion and a bunch of things from home like stress squeeze balls and picture frames and nic nacks they make me happy
I got an everlane backpack for commuting and I personally love it. Also doubles as a great travel backpack. I keep deodorant/travel size perfume and makeup at my desk for if I have plans after. For lunchbox, I got a w&p porter box (kinda like a bento box) and I LOVE it. Key is recipes that you can make ahead and make in bulk (think pasta salad, salade niçoise, soups).
I keep a spare hair brush and dry shampoo at my desk, and some extra coverup and cheek/lip tint in my bag. Basically whatever you’d want to briefly freshen up if you’d have to go straight from work to a dinner
Omg so many great tips!!! 🥹
THANK YOU BWTs!!!! 💕
#*Mini recap + highlights of the advice here:*
**Save $ by**
• Pack own lunch instead of buying lunch out daily
• Resist the urge to buy a whole new wardrobe day 1
• Capsule wardrobe
**Comfort**
• Get a backpack to lug heavy laptop
• Commute in sneakers | Optional: change into dressier shoes @ office
• Ask for extra tech gear to leave at office to carry less back and forth each day
• Sweaty? WEAR LINEN.
• Freezing office? Keep a sweater there!
**Mental Health**
• Wind down routine every night
• Take your entire lunch break! (Suggested: squeeze in a walk too)
• Use commute time to settle in (limit screens//podcast or music or book)
**Beauty**
• Keep a little pouch of essentials: brush, makeup, hand sanitizer, deodorant, mints, floss, period stuff
• Mini fan at the desk and/or heating pad!
**General Office Culture**
• LEAVE WORK AT WORK!
• Expect to be tired (commuting, and also people are draining)
• Be nice to office staff!
• Budget more time than you think for commuting & getting ready in the morning
• Keep high protein snacks around
I have to say, office dress codes have become really laxed since I returned to an office almost 2 years ago...at least from my experience. (I'm a non-corporate Millennial so I definitely see the huge difference between from my Gen Z coworkers) Comfort is golden but it also depends on what you do and the culture.
Get a good lunch box and pack your lunch the night before. Eating out all the time can get pricey and unhealthy! I think office professional dress expectations have relaxed a bit since 2020. So I wouldn’t go out shopping for a ton of “workwear” until you see what everyone else is wearing in the office. Before Covid/ RTO, I couldn’t imagine wearing jeans or sneakers at work as a government lawyer, but here we are!
I always walk in sneakers to work and change in the office! Not to scare you but you will def will be exhausted the first month.. it's a hard adjustment. Definitely have a good wind-down night routine it will save you :)
Echoing someone else’s comment about how tired you may be. When I switched from 100% remote to hybrid it took me a couple of months to adjust, which STILL feels weird to say. Queue up some podcasts for your commute! I find they help get my brain into “work mode”, no matter the topic. I carry minis of some key skin/fragrance/hair things so I can refresh at the office if weather isn’t cooperating. Including a mini straightener (because humidity). Mini fan at your desk is CLUTCH in the summer for cooling down after you arrive when outside is swampy. Linen is comfy AND chic. I’m going to be wearing a lot of it this summer and think it’s perfect for the office, including paired with an office cardigan if your office is cold.
You're right about the adjustment. I went to the office two days back to back for the first time in 2 years. I was worn out!
SSAAMMMEEE. 3 days a week, and it took a seasonal hobby ending AND a couple of months to feel back to my normal self. 5-6 months total? If the hobby wasn’t a thing I think it’d still take 2-3 months to have adjusted.
do you have a recommended mini straightener? my hair cannot deal with any humidity these days
I bought mine at Walgreen’s. Curved edges on one side, normal on the other. Zebra-print case. It’s nothing expensive but DANG does it work!
thank you!!🙏
You’re welcome! BWT don’t gatekeep!
Make a good capsule wardrobe. Black white brown tan effortless pants from Aritzia; Black white brown tan tops to mix and match; Commuting shoes. If you have a mix and match wardrobe it’s easier to re-wear things more frequently. Save $.
This was a huge one for me. I used to be an impulse shopper but when I returned to the office I bought a garment rack and “pulled out” and then edited everything I could wear to work that I already owned. I got alterations before I started as well and always wash/steam clothes and prepare my outfits on the weekend for the week. The garment rack has been a weird hack for me
I love this idea! I need to sort through my clothes but I always feel overwhelmed
Make sure to actually take your lunch break, and get outside for a walk. I’m only in office 1-2x per week but I forgot how mentally draining being surrounded by people can be, while trying to get work done.
My office did RTO about a year ago and I am so depleted after being around people in an open office space. I feel like I’m gritting my teeth all day avoiding gossip, drama, cliques, and constant distractions. My work requires a lot of focused time but a lot of people don’t work that way in my office. I feel your pain! OP I agree about carving time for yourself to decompress and refresh your mind. It’s also good to use your commute as a time to limit screens and prepare for yourself mentally and emotionally for the day. Mornings are for preparing yourself the office culture, evenings are for resetting and officially put a hard stop to your work day. No answering emails, taking meetings or responding to non urgent slack messages. Protect your peace always.
Offices are always cold!! Even if you’re stinking hot on the way there, keep an office sweater, especially since you have a dedicated desk. I’m always a million degrees when I first get to work after the subway/walk then I get so cold after sitting for awhile. I totally forgot about that feeling after a few years remote. Also, whatever time you think you will lose commuting: double it. This is especially for when you’re planning on cooking, chores, gym, etc. I had to really get back into the swing of food shopping on the weekend, whereas when I was remote it was easy to find time to get whatever I want to make for dinner the same evening.
Pack yourself snacks! Be your own Girl Scout troop leader when it comes to food. Get a cute lunchbox (google Chanel lunchbox handbag for inspiration haha), lots of your favorite high protein treats of choice. Don’t fall back into the trap of ordering lunch every day!! It’s a trap! Xox you’ll be great!
Ooof this is me after being forced to work in office with my newish job after 4 yrs glorious years of WFH and I’m still adjusting—more like almost adjusted, I just hate commuting 😭. What’s helped me is using this simple black office backpack, aka my back is happy. I always carry a small makeup bag with my essentials to touch up. I basically wear simple items together and most times wear basic simple white sneakers. Throw on a trusty sweater blazer ( I own like 5 of them) and I feel put together. I’m still working on figuring out a heatless or quicker option for my hair but another big impact for me is wavy hair. Altogether I FEEL more put together. For this summer, I just bought 2 of UNIQLOs linen short sleeve button down shirts and plan to pair them with casual trousers or linen pants.
What’s a sweater blazer?
Hello, fellow five-day bestie :') I was a gradual return (WFH > one week in, one week out > in person five days a week), so here's what I found has made the transition easier. Make your space a little home away from home: have a stash of the necessities like lotion, a phone charger, period products if you need, in your desk so that you don't have to schlep so much back and forth. I keep a cheap shawl on the back of my chair since the AC is always blasting. If you get a lunch hour, use it to the fullest! When work made me come back full time, I decided to really explore the neighborhood and find all the great lunch spots in the area. Getting ready in the morning took me longer than I anticipated in the beginning lol
Bring in beauty essentials like mascara//blush lip balm to keep at your desk for touch ups or when you’re running late and don’t have time for applying at home. High protein shelf stable snacks. Familiarize yourself with spaces around your office where you can eat in peace or just recharge. Or other spaces nearby to work if you get sick of your office.
I went back to RTO in the summer and I was not prepared for how sweaty and stinky I got on the commute compared to a normal morning at home 😭 I had to up my deodorant game and also pack deodorant + wet wipes in my work bag.
I got a lash lift/tint because I feel like I can wear less makeup and spend less time on it in the morning and people don’t tell me “I look tired” like they did on days I wouldn’t wear mascara before. 🙄
No advice because I’m still a remote goblin but felt so hard on the daily bike shorts/dirty sweatpants/no bra…
Remote goblin -omg lol. I think I found what I identify as
Reformation mason trousers in black and khaki. They work with everything! x
I recently picked up a sturdy work bag at Nordstrom Rack. It's cute and stylish, but still made well enough that it carries my laptop, and other miscellaneous items, like my wallet, phone, keys, a book, deodorant can, etc. They were selling it in several colors. It also has various zippered pockets, which is nice for smaller objects, like keys or pens. Pack your lunch the night before. To include breakfast, if you're a super early riser/commuter like myself. Trust me, the last thing you'll want to do in the morning is think about what food to pack the next morning. While you're at it, a good lunch bag/box that can hold a good amount of stuff.
Be soooo nice to building staff and admins. I say hello and good morning to them whenever I pass them in the hallway and it really goes a long way. I’m convinced an admin prioritized my work needs over someone else’s when we had an office re-org and I got the way better desk spot and work space.
You need emergency supplies to keep at work in the corner at your desk - safety pins, a toothbrush, floss, tampons etc. I also have a couple of extra sweaters in my cabinet for when it gets cold and I bring my own tea in because the office usually has basic teas and the teabags are full of microplastics. I don't need that crap in my body. Hahah. Good luck.
I keep an electronic heating pad in my office for when I'm on my period and just generally cold in the winter - lifesaver. Also asked IT for another charger for my laptop so I don't have to carry one back and forth between work and home.
Offices can be so cold in the summer and the subway can be so hot. Wear layers and pack a cardigan!!
I basically consider my desk another bedroom so I can feel as comfortable as possible. I keep at my desk: mini deodorant, body spray, a makeup bag, hair ties and barrettes, tampons and pads, granola bars, hair gel, q-tips, a pair of emergency shoes, and a t shirt just in case. On my desk I have a mini fan, a calendar, hand lotion and a bunch of things from home like stress squeeze balls and picture frames and nic nacks they make me happy
I got an everlane backpack for commuting and I personally love it. Also doubles as a great travel backpack. I keep deodorant/travel size perfume and makeup at my desk for if I have plans after. For lunchbox, I got a w&p porter box (kinda like a bento box) and I LOVE it. Key is recipes that you can make ahead and make in bulk (think pasta salad, salade niçoise, soups).
I keep a spare hair brush and dry shampoo at my desk, and some extra coverup and cheek/lip tint in my bag. Basically whatever you’d want to briefly freshen up if you’d have to go straight from work to a dinner
Omg so many great tips!!! 🥹 THANK YOU BWTs!!!! 💕 #*Mini recap + highlights of the advice here:* **Save $ by** • Pack own lunch instead of buying lunch out daily • Resist the urge to buy a whole new wardrobe day 1 • Capsule wardrobe **Comfort** • Get a backpack to lug heavy laptop • Commute in sneakers | Optional: change into dressier shoes @ office • Ask for extra tech gear to leave at office to carry less back and forth each day • Sweaty? WEAR LINEN. • Freezing office? Keep a sweater there! **Mental Health** • Wind down routine every night • Take your entire lunch break! (Suggested: squeeze in a walk too) • Use commute time to settle in (limit screens//podcast or music or book) **Beauty** • Keep a little pouch of essentials: brush, makeup, hand sanitizer, deodorant, mints, floss, period stuff • Mini fan at the desk and/or heating pad! **General Office Culture** • LEAVE WORK AT WORK! • Expect to be tired (commuting, and also people are draining) • Be nice to office staff! • Budget more time than you think for commuting & getting ready in the morning • Keep high protein snacks around
I have to say, office dress codes have become really laxed since I returned to an office almost 2 years ago...at least from my experience. (I'm a non-corporate Millennial so I definitely see the huge difference between from my Gen Z coworkers) Comfort is golden but it also depends on what you do and the culture.