Feeling lost

[Owlette123]

I'm on maternity leave with my second (and last) child currently. I have a management position to go back to in the new year but I just feel lost.

I don't hate my job but I feel like it's not where I want to be. The problem is I don't know where I want to be.

It's consuming my maternity leave already and I can't stop thinking about my options when I just want to enjoy my time with my baby.

I just feel like I need more balance now I have two children.

Feeling lost 😞

Sorry to hear that OP, didn’t want to read and run.
I felt a bit like this on my mat leave, but on return easily got sucked into the daily grind of it and it’s not as bad as I built it up to be.

Why not focus on enjoying your leave for now, then when you go back to work, start considering your options? I found my brain worked better when I went back!

If you want good balance, most civil service jobs are incredibly flexible - both with flexi time and work from home options

My advice would be to try and shut those thoughts down and enjoy the time you have with your baby.

I'm due back to work in just 2 weeks time and absolutely dreading it. I've been off for 14 months on maternity/annual leave and I've spent at least 6 or 7 of those months looking for jobs, applying, attending interviews etc. Now my return is imminent and I've failed at finding another job; I feel I have completely wasted precious time with my baby girl and i'll never get that back again. I think I put so much pressure on myself that it had such a weighting on my poor performance in interview. I've been in a vicious circle.

Deal it with it when the time comes (it might not even be all that bad when you go back) and enjoy living in the now.

Best of luck x