Back to work tomorrow - worst fear ever

[Chicci1]

After nearly a year off on maternity leave, I'm back to work in the morning. Back five days a week and will be gone from 6.20am in the morning until I collect my two from nursery at 5pm. I've used all my annual leave to extend my maternity leave so don't have a single day left to take off this year. ive been indulging in a pity party all week and even I'm sick of hearing myself moan about the hamster wheel of exhaustion im about to jump on. Am thoroughly miserable and have the worst cast of fear ever!! I literally cannot remember how to turn on my computer in work. And that's before I even start thinking about how much I'm going to miss the kids. Any words of encouragement (bearing in mind that I have no option but to go back full time) would be much appreciated!

Honestly half an hour of fear, then you'll be back to it fine and be surprised at what you can do :)

The fear is way worse than the reality.

Best of luck.

I just did this last Weds and was exactly the same as you for a week or so before. I surprised myself by actually liking it

Wear waterproof mascara for the trip in, plan a really yummy lunch (and if your work is like mine and rubbish at organising any nice welcome back, enjoy the calm when eating alone!), and leave on the dot.
Also don't feel bad if by the end of the week you have dived right in and the days zoom by.

The thought of it is worse than the reality, honestly. It’s massively daunting, and you worry you won’t remember how to do anything, and you’ll miss the kids, and it’ll all be awful. Once you’re back, you’ll get used to it within a couple of weeks, and hopefully you’ll be too busy remembering how everything works to spare much time for worrying about it or missing the kids.

The best advice anyone gave me was think of it as starting a new job, and cut yourself the same amount of slack you would with a new job - give yourself a month to settle in and don’t expect to be performing at 100% your first week back.

Best of luck! I’m also feeling nervous tonight, first day in my ‘new’ job tomorrow - promotion which means going full time, after 4 years of doing 3 days a week. Hope it all goes well for you!

Thanks everyone. Good advice re thinking of it as starting a new job. Best of luck to you too cocoam

I did it the other week. I love my children....but it’s awesome being back at work! Good luck

I've used all my annual leave to extend my maternity leave so don't have a single day left to take off this year.
😬

I went back two weeks ago and honestly the fear is far worse than the reality. After a couple of days back it was like I'd never been away.
There are advantages too like having adult conversation, being able to look around the shops on my lunch break in peace and drinking a cup of coffee hot.
Good luck OP. You'll be fine

I've been where you are and the anxiety building up to returning was awful. My day was the other way round with me dropping at nursery as soon as they opened at 8 but then not getting home til 7 or 8 at night.

Tips i remember:

• don't feel you have to ring at lunch to check how your LOs are doing. I rang each day for about a week and she was always fine but then I'd be left feeling quite empty and missing her.

• make use of things like slow cooker and 15 min dinner ideas for easy dinner options and use leftovers for lunch to save making up meals all the time

• although you don't have leave, look into your rights for taking urgent family leave so you have that stress relief in your back pocket if LO ill. Think its typically 5 days paid and 5 unpaid a year

Hope your first day back goes well. This will pass and you'll be back in the swing of it soon