Does anybody else feel nervous when they return to work after time off?

[gchali]

I've had a week or so of annual leave just to recharge and take a break with my DC.

I feel so anxious though about returning tomorrow and I can't put my figure on it but it's really unsettling

Does anybody else ever feel like this? I just feel like I don't want to go back..

Yes it’s very very normal. All will be well though. Get through your first day back, plan something nice for tomorrow evening. It will all be ok. 💐

I always feel like that

Yes totally. I’m dreading returning to work after 11 months off on mat leave

Just think though that the first day back is never that bad, people mostly just ask you about your holiday

It's so strange. I have knots in my stomach thinking about it

Every fucking weekend. I'm not sure how it comes as a surprise every Sunday night that I have to work the following day but it always comes as a shock.

Oh god yea. Always

@MysweetAudrina Yeah I get the blues really bad on a Sunday too the weekend goes so fast!

Yes always, which is weird because I love my job.

Weird isn't it. I always felt like that on Sunday nights before school. And still do now (I really try not to, as it wastes the weekend from about 5pm)

Yep same here, I only had Thursday and Friday off but still feeling funny about tomorrow!

Yes lots of teachers get anxiety towards the end of school holidays. Sleepless nights and stress at the worry of it all. I think it's normal and as soon as you are back to work it's all fine and normal.

Yeh a little. I think its common and harks back to school days... Remember going on hols when your parents dared to take you out of school only to be on the plane face pressed against the window on the way back thinking 'will Lucy now be best friends with Helen instead of me?' 'I wonder if Mrs Watson is going to be angry and pick on me because I can't remember how to do long division and everyone else would have been practising?' 'I wonder if Shane fancies Lisa now instead of me?' it's the 'change' thing I think. You're anxious of any changes that have happened and feel a bit 'out of it' just a touch of anxiety. You forget all about it once you've been there the morning.

Yep... Every Sunday night... Another week at work 😕 only 4 weeks til mat leave, that's keeping me going for now!

Yes. I had 16 weeks off due to coronavirus which is more than I took for maternity leave and I was so nervous on my first day back. I like my job and I’ve been doing it years.

Yes I do. In my case, I think it's a terror of some terrible error I've made coming to light in my absence. I've been doing this job for decades but I still have imposter syndrome

Yes! For me it's that feeling of guilt that I was off and paranoia that people discovered something shit I'd done while covering or disapproved of me being off or some other ridiculous invention. My team and boss are great, it's totally irrational.
I find it helps to remember when someone with a similar role to me was off and how I felt - did I think they were lazy? Did I even notice they were off?? And therefore why do i think I am so different. It will be fine!

Yes! I had this last Sunday after having half term off with DS - felt really anxious and couldn’t sleep.
I’m feeling a bit nervous and out of sorts now knowing it’s work again tomorrow

Yes after every annual leave. I'm due back Thursday after two weeks off and I'm dreading it

Yes because I can be out of office for just an hour and have 30 emails in that time so after annual leave, my job is always stressful to come back to.

I have long- ish periods of time where I feel out of control in my job. Definitely have imposter syndrome as mentioned above!

Good advice above from Cavagirl about keeping the feelings rational!

@Cavagirl Hit the nail on the head! That's exactly how I'm feeling

Oh yes, I call it the "haven't done my homework" feeling. 😢

@gchali it's annoying isn't it, as an otherwise completely rational person, I always feel like that.
As well as thinking about how I felt about someone similar who went on leave; also imagine a specific colleague who you like and imagine their (positive) reaction to your return, and also channel someone who really would not even consider feeling this way - be that a colleague (I have a particularly arrogant one who has previously fucked up covering for me with zero guilt, zero apology, an absolute eye-opener!) a friend or even a famous person eg absolutely no way does Madonna feel guilt on coming back from holiday 😂