Back to Work Blues

I still get the back to work blues, even after just two days off for Christmas. It’s odd how quickly we forget the routine, how returning to tasks and obligations can feel like a big fat smack in the face.?

That first day back always hits harder than it logically should, and I think it’s because our brains latch onto freedom so fast.

I even remember a time when it was worse. My fear swirled like a tornado on Sunday nights: undone tasks lurking in the corners, an inbox full of question marks. Chaotic, unplanned, no structure to soften the blow. Just raw dread at the idea of Monday.

You, dear reader, might know that feeling. Do you sense your chest tightening as the hours count down? Do you wonder how you’ll handle all the micro-crises waiting for you in the office (or on Slack)? It’s a universal phenomenon, but I don’t think it has to be a dominating one.

For me, the tiny, life-changing hack was planning. Not some elaborate bullet journal that looks like a Pinterest masterpiece, but a simple map of tomorrow’s tasks, a short list of who gets called first, which deliverable is urgent, which can wait.

The dread usually feeds on uncertainty. Once the uncertainty shrinks, so does the dread.

But I also knows that sometimes the dread isn’t about tasks at all?—?sometimes it’s about them. A coworker, a boss, an entire environment that drains you. No amount of color-coded to-do lists can fix toxic relationships or organizational messes.?

For those stuck in that quagmire, all I can offer is, “How long can you wait before making a move?” The question itself could be a door creaking open.

And then there’s you?—?perhaps you’ve done the planning, tamed your tasks, but a heaviness still hangs over your Monday morning.?

Could be the actual work doesn’t align with who you are. Or maybe the environment feels stifling, like a never-ending treadmill of soul-numbing tasks. That doesn’t mean “burn everything, emigrate to Bali and become a butterfly dentist.” What it does mean is some small course corrections, little by little, until your day-to-day doesn’t chew you up.

I once believed I thrived on chaos, flying by the seat of my pants, only to hate it when chaos turned around and bit me. Now I try to keep a tidier ship, so the return to work doesn’t feel like an assault on my psyche. It’s not perfect, but it’s drastically better. Instead of hating Monday, I just mildly resent it and anticipate a heavy day. A giant leap in emotional progress, trust me.

Final Musings

These blues are normal, no matter how short the break or how sweet the holiday. But by naming them, accepting them, and maybe planning our next step, we reduce their power.?

Maybe that’s all we can do: approach it bravely, with a dash of humor, and know we’re not alone in the ever-present Sunday-evening swirl of “Ugh.”

I’m fairly sure if we keep doing the right things?—?stay organized, remain open to small pivots in life, don’t let ourselves be devoured by monotony?—?then the universe might just skip throwing tomatoes at us and throw us a bone instead.?

That’s the idea, at least.?

About the Author

Sam Hilsman is the CEO of CloudFruit? & HiiBo. If you want to invest in HiiBo or oneXerp, reach out. If you want to become a developer ambassador for HiiBo, visit www.HiiBo.app/dev-ambassadors.