It’s just over a month at my new job and I am still enjoying myself. I
have been meeting community groups, brainstorming ways to celebrate diversity,
learning about community cohesion, writing a guide to prayer room usage,
updating internet pages and generally doing what my geeky self considers fun.
The people I work with are really nice and the days go by in a blur.
I like that I have the option of dropping the kids off before work and taking a walk at lunchtime. I’ve even lost a few pounds because I am busy enough to stop boredom-eating alhamdulillah.
On the flip side, moving to working five days from four has been a painful transition. I have lost my breathing space, my Friday morning 9am golden hour after the kids have been dropped to school. My days are so full with learning new things that I come home tired and wanting to focus on simple things – housework, cooking, cleaning, children’s homework and bedtime routines. Those are the things that help me to wind down and let go of all of the things I have to keep on top of in the office. My house has never been so tidy.
All of this leaves little room for creativity and trying new things. There is enough trying new things at work and enough space to be creative that I just want to veg out at home. So at times like this I return to what I have always done when overwhelmed: go back to the basics. Focus on gentle routines, try to get enough sleep. The children can often be my biggest source of anxiety, so making sure they are eating properly, going to bed on time, these things help me to feel calm and organised.
It’s taken a month to feel settled including a period where I freaked out a bit in the middle thinking “OMG I can’t do this” before I resorted to making lots of lists and breaking down everything I had to do.
I like that I have the option of dropping the kids off before work and taking a walk at lunchtime. I’ve even lost a few pounds because I am busy enough to stop boredom-eating alhamdulillah.
On the flip side, moving to working five days from four has been a painful transition. I have lost my breathing space, my Friday morning 9am golden hour after the kids have been dropped to school. My days are so full with learning new things that I come home tired and wanting to focus on simple things – housework, cooking, cleaning, children’s homework and bedtime routines. Those are the things that help me to wind down and let go of all of the things I have to keep on top of in the office. My house has never been so tidy.
All of this leaves little room for creativity and trying new things. There is enough trying new things at work and enough space to be creative that I just want to veg out at home. So at times like this I return to what I have always done when overwhelmed: go back to the basics. Focus on gentle routines, try to get enough sleep. The children can often be my biggest source of anxiety, so making sure they are eating properly, going to bed on time, these things help me to feel calm and organised.
It’s taken a month to feel settled including a period where I freaked out a bit in the middle thinking “OMG I can’t do this” before I resorted to making lots of lists and breaking down everything I had to do.
So finally, I feel like I am getting used to the change in hours,
routine and intensity of work. Maybe this weekend I’ll venture out and try
something new.
