I don’t want to go back to work!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that I’m not the only person who hated going to work.
If you’ve missed every second away from your workplace then this post isn’t for you!
Firstly I want to say (because I do not want this post to be misinterpreted) that I know that many people have been working through lockdown and I am ever grateful to them.
There are those that have been ill or grieving and they are in my thoughts.
There are also those who’s circumstances will have been made even more difficult by the situation.
There are also many many more people who will have actually been given a gift during lockdown.
TIME.
Think about it, the average worker spends upwards of half their waking hours at work…often sedentary and often indoors.
And prior to that, most of us were in full-time education from age four…often sedentary and often indoors.
So, being given some time to settle in to life, to find your groove is probably not something many people have had the chance to do before.
As families we kind of live alongside each other, drifting from work, school, clubs, days out, events…hasn’t it been kind of nice for it all to just STOP for a while?!
And now…as lockdown regulations loosen and returning to work seems more likely for everyone you may be left thinking “I don’t want to go back to work, I don’t want lockdown to end!”
If you’re currently raising your eyebrows and muttering something about ‘lazy millennials’ then just know that this isn’t about a fear of hard-work.
Too many people stay in jobs they hate or toxic work environments for far too long.
Whether they think it’ll change or they just feel stuck.
If that’s you then it really is in your best interest to invest some time trying to find work that feels like a better fit.
Making a big change doesn’t come easy and our schooling will have made it feel entirely unnatural to step outside the social norms.
I want to quote an awesome post by Lucy about The School Wound that many of us carry…
“You want something different for your life but are terrified to step out of the norm because to step out of the norm back at school would have led to you taking on a label with your peers and teachers, and possibly to social shaming or punishment.
You are constantly trying to squeeze yourself into someone else’s idea of who you should be or how you should spend your time because there were fixed ideas of who you could be at school, and you had to think carefully about your actions and how they would be interpreted socially.”
If that’s you then read her post and know that NOW is a great time to start listening to your thoughts!
You don’t have to justify your thoughts, proove yourself or feel guilty for wanting rest/ more/ different.
You are capable of making sensible decisions.
What I don’t have is the all important answer to the “what should I do then?!” because that’s something you’ll find out for yourself.
Trust yourself…
“Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.”
— James F. Byrnes
People who read “I don’t want to go back to work” also read: The Real Problem With Parents Today & Work Sucks