The back to work dread - Covid edition

[Maria444]

Serious back to work gloom today. First time in about 10 years I’ve taken the two Christmas weeks off and it feels like it’s been forever.

I know it’s normal to dread going back to work but I feel like it’s all the more heightened at the moment as I’m just going back to sitting in my study, with no contact other than Zoom and texts with colleagues, but all the stress and deadlines that I’d have in the office.

Very lucky I know to have a secure WFH job but I haven’t seen any colleagues in person since March and going into 2021 with no real end in sight (despite all the vaccine promises!) just fills me with dread.

I never thought I’d say this but this point I’d actually like to be getting up, making myself look nice and dashing to a meeting with coffee in hand, making lunch plans with a colleague and using my commute for some down time. I still make myself look nice just for me, but it often feels pointless.

Any on else have the back to work dread more acutely than normal?

I'm sort of dreading it too. I'm a TA and we're going back to school to work with keyworker children, while the teachers get to prepare their lessons in the comfort of home.
Feels a bit like being thrown to the wolves!!

I'm with you, OP. I like my job really, I know it won't be that bad but January is always so busy. I find busy in the office energising, WFH home, it's draining. 😭

Oh god I could have written your op. I'm the same, WFH since March and continuing for the foreseeable.

Last week I was seriously down, but I'm trying to see the positives! I don't have to get up early! I can drop off and pick up the kids. Exercise at lunchtime. Prep a decent dinner.

I do rather wish I was getting dressed to go into the office, nattering with a mate over coffee and dashing to a meeting. I miss the social contact especially seeing all the hot fellas dressed up nicely

I've applied for a few jobs over Christmas but at the same time I don't want to be starting a new job in this climate with a probation period, trying to learn a new role remotely.

^

Me too. Rock and a hard place here too

I have the dread too - back on Tuesday as in Scotland, but some of the office are England based so there will doubtless be many urgent things waiting for me. I should really log on for a bit tomorrow to clear the worst of it, but I don't want to.

Work and home boundaries became seriously blurred towards the end of last year, and one of my resolutions is to be stricter with my time, so hopefully more productive less mumsnetting whilst working meaning shorter hours. That's the hope anyway.

I'm quite pleased to not have to get up earlier & brave the dark & cold however I've been in & out of the office which had helped my sanity.

Oh yes and I should be applying for roles in different departments but can't bear to start remotely.

Annoyingly prior to lockdown I was the most content I'd ever been at work, but I need face to face interactions to make it enjoyable.

It's going back to all the worst parts of work - stress, overload etc - without the benefits of having a laugh and a bit of support from colleagues or meeting a friend for lunch/ after work drinks.

I look at my kitchen table which had nice Christmas candles and nibbley things on just last week and know it'll soon be covered with IT and work crap.

I've made a rod for my own back by leaving things "till the New Year" rather than working late and doing them before Christmas when they would have been fresh in my mind

This thread is making me feel better. And I'm sorry for that. I really dont want anyone else feeling the same as me as its horrible. But I feel a bit less alone now.

I'm not working from home but am working in a busy supermarket and really dread going in, I worry so much about covid and most folk dont social distance or wear masks properly. Its a constant worry. I've got medication for it.
I dreamt of a job working from home but I see now its not as cushy as it seems.

We all just want normality now.

Exactly the same here OP.

I’m back in the NHS frontline tomorrow and it’s the first time in my career that I just don’t want to go to work. I’ve been lucky enough to have 10 days off but I’m still exhausted from the pre-Christmas period. It doesn’t help that I’ve been unwell for the last few days (not COVID. Some other arsehole virus) and probably should take tomorrow off to see the back of it but I’ll feel terrible if I don’t push myself to go in. I’ll also feel terrible if I do no doubt. A lose lose situation.

@EloraaDanan, that puts my moans into perspective. It must be so much harder for all you frontline people - NHS, teachers, shop staff etc. Thanks for all you do.

Same. I was near having a mental breakdown before Christmas due the the extreme pressure and workload, working 12-16 hours a day and barely spending time with the kids due to people phoning me into the evening demanding stuff. I don’t know how I am going to cope on Wednesday when I return, I really feel like handing in my notice and trying to sort out my mental health and being there to help the kids with their home learning.

Thanks @lidoshuffle but it’s all relative really. However you’re feeling about your own situation is perfectly valid despite other people’s

My DH says he’s going to be cross with me if I go in tomorrow. He should know by now that will just push me the other way....

I am with the threat of school closure. I was furloughed last time but this time I will have to juggle working and home schooling (I can't work from home) and I'm dreading it. I've been off since the 23rd and it's been such a nice - if boring - relaxed week and a half.

I'm finding it easier than usual because a) the first day "back" can at least be done without leaving the house and b) I've properly chilled out the past two weeks.

I always get a bit nostalgic and existential around new year, and our CEO is all about the balance. So even though I'm returning to deal with a former business partner aggressively suing us for breach of contract, I'm sort of just mildly curious to see how it turns out and not stressed at all.

(Because this man is a self important delusional nobber and the more he puffs up his ridiculous and false assertions the less important I think he is)

I’m WFH and an introvert but even so I’m finding home working very lonely ☹️
However I realise I’m lucky as at least I don’t come into contact with anyone and my working setup is very Covid secure. I feel for all the teachers, healthcare workers, shop workers etc where the human contact literally puts you at risk.

I am pleased to still have a job but have found working from home hard. I miss the office environment and having clear boundaries between work and home. My dh is working from home too so it's not peaceful and I will also have one dc at home for two weeks who needs motivation to log on to Google classroom.

Yup. Back to the kitchen table and Zoom meetings.

I went into work between xmas and new year for a couple of days just to avoid this

Agree with this. I was optimistic when I finished work before Christmas that 2021 would be better. Now I’m not so sure of that and struggling with feeling like that.

I can feel that post holiday / Sunday night feeling.

I feel very grateful to have a job and I have pretty much worked at home since March 2020. The most stressful part is doing it alongside trying to homeschool 2 primary aged children. Never feeling like I gave each part of my life its proper attention raised my stress levels immensely in 2020.

Everyone has their own battles with it, and yes there are people who have had it worse, but I'm a believer in being allowed to feel however you need to feel about your situation.

Good luck to everyone going back to work this week, regardless how you feel about it

I hear you OP. Haven't been in the office since the 15th December and I've done fuck all with my time off - not that there's anything to do.

I just want to win the lottery please universe.

@Imanessexgirlgetmeoutofhere any tips for the homeschooling whilst working? I was extremely lucky to be furloughed last time right up until half way through the holidays but won’t be this time and I feel absolutely sick about trying to homeschool and work.

Me. I could cry. Find myself fantasising about being off sick.