What I Learned From Going Back to Work

Of course, the flip side has its own lessons. There’s more to getting back to the grind than you realize! Here are a few things I’ve learned from returning to work after a holiday hiatus:

• Zack, Chloe and Ollie either adjust to our schedules really well, or they like us going to work and leaving them in peace and quiet. I suspect they enjoy having that time during the day to take naps, eat and play without silly humans hovering over them. And they don’t seem to miss the Christmas songs on the radio, either (guess I overdid it with that one).
  
  
• Having the flu last week had one advantage – my work clothes weren’t tight from the holiday bulge. In fact, they’re a bit loose. Now that’s a first!
  
  
• Yes, a 2 hour shift is significant. I thought that sleeping until 8 a.m. wasn’t much of a departure from my normal 6 a.m. wake up call these past couple of weeks. It is. I’m just now recovering from my zombie state, self imposed jetlag from the past couple of weeks.
  
  
• Home is at least 15 degrees warmer than work. I’m sure the polar vortex, the window cubicle, and shutting down the HVAC system between 6PM and 6AM doesn’t help with heat retention.
  
  
• The little things really do count. You don’t realize how much things like that morning cup of coffee, fifteen minutes of reading time, writing on your lunch hour, a phone conversation with family and friends, playing with your parrots, watching a favorite TV show with your husband means, or wasting time and goofing off online means to you until your time is more fully engaged with the business of life.
  
  
• Time management matters. Speaking of, it takes a special amount of coordination to keep chores and errands done when you don’t have all day to do it. You remember how to make effective use of every minute really quick!
  
  
• Good health matters, too. Recovering from an illness is probably one of the best, most relieving feelings in the world. I’m so thankful that I finally feel better, and that I have the energy to go about my day without struggling against myself!
  
  
• It is good for you to get out and around other people besides your family, closest friends, and your home. Yes, people can wear you out, but they can also build you up. Getting out in the world and interacting with real people (not online) makes us better people and contribute to a better life balance.
  
  
• The post holiday blahs will hit. It usually happens in the 2-3 days of returning back to your routine, when you’re caught up and things are falling back into their normal rhythm. It’s completely normal to think “Christmas was 2 weeks ago, New Year’s Day was a week ago, and now I’m right back here so soon!” This is a good time to take your thoughts captive. Give thanks that you have a job, or that you’re in school getting an education preparing for a better future. There are many people unemployed that don’t know how they’re going to pay their bills this month, or in too poor of health to get out and about that feel like prisoners in their own homes. Count your blessings. Engage in hobbies or activities that you enjoy in your free time. I think, in fact, that the post holiday blahs are why I always work on a novel in January – it focuses my energy on doing something productive that I enjoy instead of whining about what’s done. Be glad that you had the time off to enjoy, and for what you have to build a better life. The holidays always come back around. And in the year to come, there will doubtless be many more blessings to enjoy, both big and small, every day.
  
  
• Southerners aren’t equipped to deal with the cold. This polar vortex exposed our weakness. As much as we complain about heat and humidity in the summer, the fact is that we handle it much better than the polar express that just ran over us. I have remembered every heat wave ever over the past few days, and vowed to remember these days and not complain the next time the mercury soars over 100 degrees!
  
  

Wow, you really do learn new things every day. Here’s hoping this is the start of some great discoveries in 2014! May your new year be filled with less “awkward” and more “improvement” now and in the days and weeks to come.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!