Maternity leave has deprogrammed me from the world of work

[70sShmeventies]

I’m back at work after my second maternity leave. After the first I was a nervous wreck and struggled. Now I’m back again and….I could not give a fuck. I’m here and just cannot stand the office environment, can’t get serious or excited about streamlining internal processes or troubleshooting procedures blah blah blah. Can’t bear putting on my office persona again.

I used to care about this stuff, now I feel like the scales have fallen from my eyes and it’s all a pile of crap. I’ve been gone too long I think.

This isn’t very useful for getting work done though. I don’t need to work financially which means that incentive is gone. I also don’t get my sense of self from work AT ALL. How do I become enthusiastic again?!

Give it time. I felt the same and honestly, I don't get excied by the changes and politics of work but I pretend to and some days that kind of works. The positive side of it is I also get less hung up about the negatives.

I feel like this too

this is exactly how I will feel going back. Time to find another job?

I’ve have since resigned. Finished in January and planning on staying at home until the smallest is 3, by which time the oldest will be at nursery. I’m lucky I can do this. Then I’m retraining! Likely as an Occupational Therapist or in mental health. I have voluntary experience and will seek to get more. It’s what I care about and I just can’t spend the time I am away from my kids doing something I hate. I have also spent many years now giving myself over to my children (gladly) and if I’m going back to work it has to be something that I get more than money from.