It’ll Feel Weird to Be Around People Again at Work. That’s Fine. episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 16, 2026 · 8 MIN

It’ll Feel Weird to Be Around People Again at Work. That’s Fine.

from Harvard Business Review · host HBR

It’ll Feel Weird to Be Around People Again at Work. That’s Fine. 30 Sep 2021 --- As some of us head back to the workplace, we’re going to confront something we haven’t in a while: other people. It’s going to tire you out. Here’s how to cope. 00:00 It’ll soon be time to be around other people again, and it’s going to feel weird 00:33 Weirdness 1: We have to re-learn how to present ourselves 01:07 Here’s how to cope for now 01:56 Weirdness 2: Talking a lot is going to take a ton of energy (at first) 02:32 Here’s a couple things you can do to reduce the stress 03:38 Weirdness 3: Listening to multiple conversations is going to be really hard 04:39 This is one small thing you can do to make it easier for everyone 05:04 The good news: Brains are amazing! Social psychologist Heidi Grant explains what specific weirdnesses to expect, and has strategies to help you prepare. From relearning how to present yourself to dealing with the exhaustions of talking and listening, she offers small steps to reduce the stress and anxiety we’re all feeling as we re-learn how to be around each other again. Produced by Scott LaPierre Video by Joseph Francis Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #Social #Psychology Copyright © 2021 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’ll Feel Weird to Be Around People Again at Work. That’s Fine. 30 Sep 2021 --- As some of us head back to the workplace, we’re going to confront something we haven’t in a while: other people. It’s going to tire you out. Here’s how to cope. 00:00 It’ll soon be time to be around other people again, and it’s going to feel weird 00:33 Weirdness 1: We have to re-learn how to present ourselves 01:07 Here’s how to cope for now 01:56 Weirdness 2: Talking a lot is going to take a ton of energy (at first) 02:32 Here’s a couple things you can do to reduce the stress 03:38 Weirdness 3: Listening to multiple conversations is going to be really hard 04:39 This is one small thing you can do to make it easier for everyone 05:04 The good news: Brains are amazing! Social psychologist Heidi Grant explains what specific weirdnesses to expect, and has strategies to help you prepare. From relearning how to present yourself to dealing with the exhaustions of talking and listening, she offers small steps to reduce the stress and anxiety we’re all feeling as we re-learn how to be around each other again. Produced by Scott LaPierre Video by Joseph Francis Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #Social #Psychology Copyright © 2021 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This episode is 8 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 16, 2026.

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It’ll Feel Weird to Be Around People Again at Work. That’s Fine. 30 Sep 2021 --- As some of us head back to the workplace, we’re going to confront something we haven’t in a while: other people. It’s going to tire you out. Here’s how to cope....

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