Many in Omaha metro-area experiencing return-to-work anxiety

A poll from the American Psychological Association shows nearly half of people in the U.S. feel uneasy about returning to in-person interactions.

LATER IN THE SHOW.WORKING REMOTELY ISSOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE HADN’TEVER DONE BEFORE THIS LAS YEAR.IT LED TO CHALLENGINGADJUSTMENTS IN ALL KINDS OFPROFESSIONS.NOW, WITH MORE PEOPLEGETTING VACCINATED AND CASESGOING DOWN, SOME EMPLOYEES AREBEING ASKED TO RETURN TO THEWORKPLACE AGAIN.3 NEWS NOW DIGITAL REPORTERDANIELLE MEADOWS HAS MORE ON THEUNCERTAINTY SOME ARE FEELINGABOUT THAT.THE PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED SO MANYTHINGSb& INCLUDING THE WAY WEWORK.GK - "HONESTLY, IT WAS A PRETTYTOUGH TIME FOR MISSIONARIES INOUR AREA"ELDERS COOPER JOHNSTON ANDGABRIEL KENNISON AREMISSIONARIES OF THE CHURCH OFJESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAYSAINTS.MOST PEOPLE PICTURE MISSIONARIESWALKING AROUND NEIGHBORHOODS ANDKNOCKING ON DOORSb BUTCORONAVIRUS BROUGHT THAT KIND OFOUTREACH TO A HALT.ALONG WITH SOCIALLY DISTANCEDVOLUNTEERING, THEY HAVE FOUNDMORE UNIQUE WAS TO GET INVOLVEDbLIKE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, ZOOMAND PHONE CALLS."IT’S KIND OF NICE BECAUSE,LIKE, BACK WHEN WE WERE DOINGDOOR TO DOOR, WHEN PEOPLE DON’TWANT TO HEAR FROM YOU THEY SLAMTHE DOOR IN YOUR FACE.

BUT ITDOESN’T HURT MY FEELINGS AS MUCHWHEN PEOPLE JUST HANG UP ON ME."LOOKING AHEAD, THEY DO HAVE SOMEHESITATIONS ABOUT RETURNING TONORMAL DUTIES.

AS NEBRASKARELAXES COVID-19 RELATEDGUIDELINES, THE CHURCH IS, TOO."SOME PEOPLE, THEY’RE LIKE, OH,IT DOESN’T EXIST, I DON’T KNOWWHAT THE PAST YEAR WAS.

AND YOUHAVE PEOPLE THAT DON’T WANT YOUWITHIN 40 FT OF THEIR HOMEb& MORTHAN NORMALb BECAUSE THEY’REAFRAID OF THE VIRUS.

SO I THINKIT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE IREALLY DON’T KNOW, EVERYONE’SGOING TO BE SO POLARIZED ON ITTHAT I’M NOT SURE WHAT THEEXPECTATION’S GONNA BE"MANY AMERICANS ARE FEELING THESAMEb& A POLL FROM THE AMERICANPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION SHOWSNEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS FEELUNEASY ABOUT RETURNING TOIN-PERSON INTERACTIONS.DR. LAUREN EDWARDS, APSYCHIATRIST WITH NEBRASKAMEDICINE, SAYS SOME OF HERPATIENTS ACTUALLY SAW RELIEF INTHEIR SYMPTOMS WHILE WORKINGFROM HOME.DR - "ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUTANXIETY IS AVOIDANCE MAKESTHINGS WORSE.

SO NOW AS WE ARELOOKING AT TRYING TO GET BACK TOKIND OF QUOTE UNQUOTE NORMAL,THE ANXIETY IS CERTAINLY GOINGTO START TO COME BACK, AND MAYBEWITH A VENGEANCE."SO FOR SOMEb MORE THAN A YEAR OFQUIET HOME OFFICESb& WORKING INCOMFORTABLE CLOTHESb AND BEINGMORE PRODUCTIVE AROUND THE HOUSEIS COMING TO AN END."IF YOU CAN ACCEPT THISDISCOMFORT AND MOVE THROUGH ITTHEN IT WILL HAVE A LOT LESSPOWER OVER YOU."CHANGE IS ALWAYS HARDb BUT THEMISSIONARIES REMAIN OPTIMISTIC."THERE’S DEFINITELY A LOT OFUNCERTAINTY UP AHEAD BUT I THINKTHAT IT’S ALSO KIND OF EXCITINGbLIKE WE’VE GOT A LOT OF HOPE INTHE FUTURE."REPORTING IN OMAHA, DANIELLEMEADOWS, 3NN.RESEARCH FROM GALLUPINDICATES THAT EVEN THOUGHREMOTE WORK HAS ENDED FORSOME... SINCE LAST SPRING,NEARLY SIX IN TEN PEOPLE ARESTILL DOING THEIR JOB REMOTELYAT LEAST SOME OF THE TIME.THE STUDY ALSO SHOWS 44PERCENT OF PEOPLE WANT TO KEEPWORKING FROM HOMEb NOTNECESSARILY AS A PRECAUT