Do you struggle to re-engage with work after annual leave?

[Blankspace4]

As the title suggests - I’ve just had a weeks annual leave. Didn’t go away but did a lot of DIY around the house, helped family out with various things, in general a busy but productive week

Since the pandemic my work has a hybrid approach - won’t say what I do but it’s generic office based stuff and I’m middle management level. I work from home 2 days a week (including today)

I’ve come back to a reasonably full inbox but a quiet diary for the day. No hugely urgent issues to deal with and so many of the emails are useless CC’s. I know I should be blitzing the inbox and re-engaging, making a few calls but I just feel totally disengaged. I have deleted all the obvious crap and will do a few more bits this afternoon but I’m left feeling guilty I don’t care more. Anyone else experience this? I’m in the office tomorrow which I hope will help me engage more.

I’ve enabled voting -

YABU - I ‘big bang’ back to work and have a productive day

YANBU - It takes me a bit of time to re-engage too

Takes time. I think after any absence it all seems a bit odd for a bit.

I struggle to re-engage after the weekend never mind after a week off 🙁

Yep, I struggle to engage every Monday morning! You're right, it is harder to get back into the swing of things after you've been off.

Yes, I struggle too, I go back tomorrow and I don't want to 😳I get a sort of anxiety about it all.
I'll be fine after a day though, because it will take over my life again 🙄😂.

I struggle most of the time because my job is bollocks, really.

Absolutely! I always feel like I'll come back refreshed but it's usually the opposite, I totally lose my work mojo.

Yep I work part time and struggle with the anxiety 'build-up' before going back, then the 'god I really can't be bothered' for the first day back. Then I become more engaged, and then it's my time off and the cycle begins again.

I’m the same I go back Wednesday after 10 days off to a new role and rota. I’m dreading it I don’t want to go back at all

Glad I’m not the only one, I feel more ‘human’ now. Adopting the ethos of - I’ll do the bare minimum today, and tomorrow is a new day.

I have ADHD and sometimes feel like I’m the problem. Finding a more stimulating role where the tedium of the inbox didn’t fill me with dread might be something for me to look into as well.

@Blankspace4 I can understand that the ADHD can throw up its own complexities but what you've described, I think, is also felt by most NT workers. I'm ill so didn't go in today but my anxiety has been high because I've got a bit assembly first thing tomorrow so am already fretting. Dunno why cos it will be fine and my pupils are the best. I always go back after the holidays and wonder what I'm supposed to be doing!

I hope your assembly goes well @KathieFerrars

Yes I often find that when you’re there, or if you’re in a physical meeting etc, it forces you to re engage whereas working from home it’s a bit easier to hide

It would probably make sense for you to arrange to work from the office on your first day back after AL in the future.

I skimmed an article yesterday where a woman was talking about an 'ease in' Monday approach where she does bare minimum on a Monday to,lessen the impact and the Sunday anxiety.

You are not alone.

I do 'ease in monday' most weeks. My job is fast paced & very often pressured with a lot of deadlines.
As i get older (50s now) I refuse to let myself get stressed about work. It's only work. It does not define me. And it is not my life.
there's a high tendency for my line of work to take over both

Because I work at such a pressurised pace 90% of the time there are days when i feel its enough to be present & reply to emails etc

Don't beat yourself up OP

I struggle to engage every morning, especially on the morning meeting, when I have to listen to a bunch of whining maggots who just need to shut up and get on with what they've got to do.

I recently took 5 weeks off to go on a 4 week long haul holiday. Coming home wasn’t too bad (I ate too much and spent too much) but going back to work was brutal. All I wanted was to be back on holiday.

Before my trip I was already unhappy in my job but now I’m determined to make a fresh start and am madly job hunting. I have an interview tomorrow actually.

Doesn’t help that morale is terrible in my department and people are leaving all the time.

@Blankspace4 As expected my gang were amazing. They enjoyed the activities and asked for another assembly time! Survived the day but felt pretty poorly through most of it. Hope you have had a better day today.

I was fine after a couple of hours but....... Now I've got post first shift back stress because I'm worrying I did stuff wrong that'll get uncovered tomorrow (and it's my day off) 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦