I have officially been back to work for about two weeks now, and I have to say it's been an adjustment for sure. I am just now starting to feel like I am back into the overall swing of things. I was out of work from February 20th to April 30th. That is a very long time especially for a workaholic like myself. While out of office I was still able to work remote - I just was unable to physically go in.
The first week I felt like I was thrown into a whole new world. It was never the workload that was an issue - it was just getting my body up and moving regularly. My morning commute suddenly felt like a never-ending journey, dealing with so many different personality was draining, and just the overall hustle and bustle was making me irritable. When I was working remotely everything was on my time and I was able to get everything done, but now I was working on other people's time. The first week left me exhausted mentally and physically.
There were times when exhaustion was trying to take over, but I had remind myself that I didn't come this far to only come this far. I went through the hard part, so it's all about rebuilding now. I had to remind myself of these three things: don't over do it, patience, and gratitude.
Here is my advice for someone in the same position -
Don't over do it.
Although you've been cleared that doesn't mean you have to jump back in 100% at full force. I was tempted to do that, well I did, and quickly realized that wasn't going to work. Your body and mind have to adapt to the change. You have to allow yourself the time to get back to your new "normal". The things that might have worked for you at one point may not work for you now, and that's okay. One day at a time.
Have patience with yourself.
You were away for a reason, so it's necessary that you respect the body and mind for showing up. Be patient with yourself, your journey, and your body. Everything will work out the way it was meant to work out. Respect and honor yourself for being getting this far.
Be proud of yourself.
You're resilient - you made it. Express gratitude to yourself. Celebrate all wins whether little or small - they all matter. Don't be afraid to congratulate yourself for things that you use to it with ease. I was trying to push myself to reach new limits right away instead of congratulating myself for all the progress I was making daily. Remind yourself that you are truly bad ass and be proud of yourself.