Back to Life…Back To Reality!

PHEW! Day 1 back to work from the holiday break has got me all kinds of feels.

First of all, I am extremely fortunate that I had time off since December 22nd, 2018 (first of all x2 – how long will it take you to correct yourself from 2018 to 2019?!). BUT second of all, the feeling of coming back to work was 500% daunting. Yes, I was grateful to have 11 straight days of NO WORK (except I did quick check-ins daily), but I still sometimes had a micro anxiety attack when I thought about returning to work today. But, there are some ways that helped me cope and prepare me for when I returned to the “real world”.

So you’re looking forward to having some time off but knowing in the back of your head that you eventually have to go back to the office, school or whatever your obligation may be, can cause some unwanted stress, right?! How do you deal with that?

• Plan ahead of time: if you had the idea of going to see Aquaman when it came out in theaters, or checking out that one speakeasy downtown with some friends or putting in your planner that you’re going to carve out time to read that unfinished book – plan for it! It helps to keep events in your schedule so you have 1) something to look forward to and 2) to keep you entertained! This break I didn’t actually plan anything except bake a crap ton of cookies and enjoy scrumptious food for Christmas and New Year gatherings, but I think that’s all I needed given how busy the holiday season can get.
• Do what you love: what’s something that you LOVE to do? Or even if it’s not something you have a passion for, it can be absolutely anything that peaks your interest. I personally love to bake (and eating) and read cookbooks – in case my blog title didn’t give away anything 😉 – and I bake whenever I get the chance. Sometimes I might be in a non-baking mood but you’ll be hard pressed to NOT find me in the kitchen doing SOMETHING. Doing what you love might help ease your mind and feel grounded.
• Prepare: so you’re a couple days away before returning to work and you’re nagging your S/O about it (like I usually do). For one, complaining gets you nowhere #sorrynotsorry but it’s the truth. Sometime I catch myself doing this and realize I’m wasting energy. Instead, think about what you want to do on your next time off (like the weekend!), or what you’re going to bring for lunch to work, or plan to drop by that coffee shop before work to get your a.m. buzz. Small things to help you mentally prepare for any upcoming events definitely pay off!

All of this isn’t JUST about distracting yourself from the horror Sunday Scaries the day before work… rather the idea of being PRESENT. During my time off from work I tried my best to stay present and really enjoy what I was doing at that exact moment. I tried not to think about what’s coming next. This practice helps SO much when you’re under pressure or stress – even if it’s for 5 minutes, your mind and body will thank you.

Or….maybe you don’t stress at all and you’re all captain underpants (and great for you!) – please do share your wisdom! And if you do, I’d love to hear how others balance their life stressors and turn it into a motivator, because it is something I continue to strive to improve. Ask my husband and I can sometimes be a major stress ball!

Anyway, hope this leaves you with tips for your next time off – even if it’s a day or a couple hours! Have a successful and positive rest of the week, only a couple more days until the weekend!

Love and Cookies,

Rina