Already feel sick about work on Monday

[youcanstayhere]

It always happens, halfway through a holiday I just dread going back.

I know the obvious answer is to find a new job but for a myriad of reasons that’s difficult. Also I do feel like it’s just the industry I work in.

Anyone else feeling sick about it?

I retrained a a microbiologist and now I work in pharma.

Because teachers are always moaning about work.

Im back on Friday, wfh as I can't face Friday's in the office at the best of times.
Im actually dreading/feel queasy at the thought of turning my laptop on.
Rail industry so there's been no quiet period as maintenance have worked through, I'm expecting around 300+ emails (this is usually what I face after a week off)
Im dreading it

I went back on Monday, having only had Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. I guess on the plus side at least I don’t have to dread going back next Monday.

I had 20 years as a primary teacher and dreaded every return after a holiday, especially the Christmas one.
Nice not to feel like that about work now.
I hope it goes well for you ❤️

Im dreading it. Before Christmas I was told I'm being kicked out of my office for a new staff member, into a lightless, junk room walkway, next to the blasting music everyone else loves. I also noticed my workload has been shifted to the menial work, while my colleague, whose FT, gets all the development opportunities. My Christmas thanks was 'thanks for doing X phone calls for the boss' whereas those calls were actually me sorting out huge client issues for an area boss has started to ignore. I'm not even allowed to manage small areas that are tiny compared to the same task I did in my previous role. Also discovered I'm paid the least and have an insane workload. Their philosophy is to load you up as much as possible. PT discrimination is real!!

I don't think the new staff member will stay long anyway as the company is crap & plenty of better firms will want them (just moving here). Yes, they have a large turnover of any staff who have other options.

Yeah, so done. My issue is that I need school hours, and WFH capability. Something not common in the backwater I live in.

Believe me, university staff feel like this too.

Lots of employees feel like this, not just those in education. I only got Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NYD off though so probably less of a shock to the system going ‘back’ to work.

I've had the scaries for days. We're understaffed and overworked in an already very stressful role. I want to curl up and hide. Plus I have a medical appointment on Tuesday I'm really not looking forward too.

Knew it would be a teacher. You’ve just had two weeks off. Spare a thought for the professions that work all the way through Xmas and new year and still have to go to work without having had any kind of break…

Also a teacher and I feel the same. Never had this in any other job. I’d feel fed up at having to get up early when it’s dark and cold but I didn’t have that feeling of absolute dread I get now. I hope I find a job in a sector that makes me happy at some point.

Oh god yes. Mainly because work has gone to crap for me. I have a new years resolution to find a new job.

To a degree.

I'm a freelancer in the construction industry. During 2025, the construction industry faced massive setbacks due to contracting activity, rising insolvencies, and a deepening labor crisis. Its seen its sharpest decline since Covid hit.

Materials have gone up, planning delays, and labour shortage have been a nightmare and recovery is really slow. Principal contractors as well as sub contractors are going into administration left right and centre and the future is very uncertain. I've lost two contracts in 2025 due to the subcontractors I've worked for transferring my workload onto current overstretched perm staff at regional office and it's a horrible position to be in. The contractor that was there before the one who is in place now went bust. So the job is behind, deadlines and programme is tighter, margins are extremely tighter still. "Sorry HangryBrickShark we can't afford to employ you now, but we have a regional doc controller who will do your job remotely" (and another ten sites on the same pay too!)

That's why I worry about going back to work because its such an uncertain future. The only silver lining is my job role is quite niche so lots of opportunities with other projects although of course the liklihood if reoccurence is high.
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I'm a freelancer in the construction industry.

Username checks out.

And yeah, the only thing worse than the Sunday Scaries on an open-ended contract is being on a casual or fixed-term contract.

Currently unemployed and worrying about bills. Silver linings etc.

I'm dreading going back Friday, although it's a WFH day. Two weeks of WFH delivering sessions over Teams then a mix of on site and Teams. I always get really anxious about the emails I go back too. Don't know why. But this year I've managed to NOT look at my emails during the holidays, which is a first. It was a boundary my psychiatrist made me put int place as I found it difficult to switch off. I dream of winning the lottery and handing my equipment in 🤣. I started my career as a primary school teacher, now I teach adults. But the same feelings remain!

We could be the same person. Will returning around same time as you but dreading it.

I instantly thought 'teacher' as well when I read the post - although I'm aware it could be any job.

Deleted -question already asked and answered

I do try to tell myself that having a job is so much better than not having one. I don’t know what it is to be honest; I just get this really irrational feeling of anxiety.that is hard to shake.

I know it isn’t just education - not trying to claim that.

I have young children of my own so haven’t had any sort of ‘break’ in the sense that I’ve just been able to chill. In many ways it’s been a lot harder as my children are a lot more challenging together whereas in term time as well as being broken up with work / nursery on my days off I only have one child.

I really am not enjoying my job at all this year though, but getting a new one isn’t straightforward.

A little bit of dread. I dislike the questions on how the holidays were and then in response having to drum up some kind of enthusiasm to ask that person how theirs went. I feel tired thinking about it.

I would just prefer to push through the day and keep interactions to a minimum.

Luckily, my first day is WFH.

Nope, not feeling any dread. Last year was shit with redundancy after redundancy that was still going on when I finished, it’ll be more of the same this year.

Team I’m in was waiting to hear if we’ve won a big project when I went on leave, if we haven’t, we’re well and truly fucked.

I honestly can’t get wound up about any of this anymore, what will be, will be.

Dreading it but I’m back tomorrow only before the weekend then back properly on Monday. To make it more bearable I’ve booked a weekend away to the Lake District for the end of the month with my eldest DD, we did it last year and it really helped.

I used to feel.like this every single Sunday. I still do a bit but not as bad as I used to. I used to waste the whole Sunday thinking about/dreading work the next day 😒.

Echoing the comments of teachers and ex teachers; I also left.

i know how you feel, OP 💐

I used to teach in a school. I think January is the worst because the commute is so horrific and the students are usually tired and uncooperative. If you are still feeling the same when Easter is approaching I think you need to consider a different school or moving into Private Tutoring.

I used to work for a Company that did jobs as a "contract". The job would be for 2-3 years and you were expected to look for a new one in the last six months. They realised that people get bored and stagnant in roles. I ended up working in a high-level role whereas without that incentive I might have stayed where I was for the whole time I worked there.

I also feel that sometimes work is what you do to keep a roof over your head and food on the table. It's important to realise that sometimes you'd dread going back to work whatever job you have. Being at home in the warm eating snacks is usually always going to be a preferred option.