First Day Back at Work Motivation

So I’m back at work tomorrow after being off since March. I thought I should do a post that’s a little more upbeat and a bit more lighthearted, otherwise you are all going to end up telling me to lighten up a bit. Plus I want to keep you entertained don’t I. 

I think tomorrow should be a day I make an effort after not wearing makeup or even caring about how I look for 15 weeks. I will be putting real clothes on instead of wearing my favourite pink elephant pyjamas. You know what I might even brush my hair. But most heartbreakingly I have to end my 3 month fling with my TV. The one person that never judges me. It’s going to be a hard separation. I’m also going to be having withdrawal symptoms due to lack of wine. Such an emotional time. 

One part of me is happy to be going back to work, to prize myself away from the sofa. To get back to some kind of normality. But then I’m also nervous. I’ve been hibernating for so long and I feel like my first day is going to hit me hard. I know that I’m not alone with feeling this way. There are so many people who have been in the same boat as me. And it’s such a scary thing now to think about how life was before and when we will get back to that. I’ve gotten so used to this lockdown and it’s been so surreal. Everyone is going to look back on this as such a significant part of their life. We will tell our children and grandchildren the stories, tell them they don’t know how lucky they are. 

I’m constantly thinking about how the new normal is going to look. Will things be exactly how they were before or is the world going to be different? Are we as people going to be different? What does the future look like? So much has happened in such a short space of time, not just Coronavirus, but events that I’m hoping and praying are going to see our world go in a new direction. I know that it’s not going to happen over night, there won’t be a huge transformation. But I’d like to see a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. One step forward for the human race. 

I don’t want to go into politics or be too deep because that’s not what my posts are about. I don’t want to lecture people or influence people to think a certain way. All I want to do is guide people through whatever they are going through, especially since there’s so many of us struggling right now and dealing with things in different ways. I’ve seen so many reactions to these unprecedented times. Some of them restoring my faith in humanity, and some of them completely ripping it away. 

We are going through this together and that does give me some kind of comfort. I’m not the only one who’s been living in my pyjamas for the last few months, or not even looked inside their makeup bag. Some of us have been lazy and you know what, that’s ok. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But let’s not react to this next chapter like nothing has happened, be a bit sensible and have some common sense. Don’t have a blow out. Instead think about the consequences. Enjoy yourself but in a more civilised way. Take it step by step and day by day. That’s all we can do. 

This may be a daft thing for me to say but I think for me, I’m going to drink out a lot less. I’m getting too old for these hangovers. My nights will consist more of curling up in my dressing gown with a peppermint tea. I also have a new found addiction to iced lattes. It’s not an unhealthy one really, but it’s a lot better than drinking my body weight in red wine. I feel that I will be more sensible and civilised. I will save money to do the things that I’ve always dreamed of doing. I will take the time I would normally go out and use it to perfect my writing and practice as much as I can. 

I say a massive well done to the people who have used this lockdown to find a new hobby or learn a new skill. I envy you for finding the motivation. You carry on slaying and you can pity me you really can! Don’t worry I won’t be offended. I think it’s now time for me to break out of my revelry though and follow in your footsteps. Tomorrow is the first day of my new chapter. This might sound cliche but I reckon that’s the best way to look at it. It means that tomorrow when I wake up I’ll get out of bed, I’ll have a shower, I’ll get dressed, I will paint on my face, I will walk out of that door with a new found confidence, And a drive to succeed. 

I’m going to get in my car and put on my favourite playlist and I’m going to sing. To some of those who know me well are probably glad they don’t have to experience this part. But that is what I’m going do and I’ll tell you why. It’s because I want to start my day off the right way, by doing the things that make me feel good. ‘Start as you mean to go on’ as they say. Please trust me when I say this works, start off your day on a high and the rest of the day will follow suit. It also gives you the power to say “I can handle whatever is thrown at me,” because you can and you will. 

So to all of you that are going back to work like me, don’t dread it, don’t fear it. Own it.