When the pandemic shutdown the world in March 2020, not much changed in my life. We had already been homeschooling for nine years, and I had worked from home for four years. Then in June 2021, I got a call about an opportunity for a position outside of the home, and while the timing was perfect, I wasn’t sure I was ready.
Granted our son is more than capable of studying independently until he would be graduating from homeschool, and we had just adopted a software that simplified my role in our family business significantly. Additionally, it seemed other obligations in my life were quickly and dramatically being reduced. I was just baffled that the most important work that I had ever done in my life—raising a family—was being phased out…
Starting A New Job
The first month back in the workforce—and pantyhose—was exhausting. I came straight home from work and slept. No dinner or daily recaps, just sleep. And on the weekends, I slept some more.
Meal planning, cleaning regimens, meeting up with friends (socially distanced), and my favorite past times of reading and baking were completely obliterated. I had zero time for anything except work and sleep. The emotional toll over a new stage in life, the stamina required to meet deadlines, the re-learning, whew…finding that balance was excruciating.
Overwhelmed by the notion that I had no clue in what I was going to find the next day at the office vs. what I knew instinctively at home was enough to make me contemplate my decision. But when I finally took a moment to breathe and look deep, I knew, that the overwhelm would fade and a new normal could be adopted.
After nine years, I was simply finding myself all over again.
Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to Work
Here are my favorite Back to Work hacks that you can afford since you are a working girl now! Trust me, a little bit of help goes a long way.
1. Meal prep planning service. This takes the guess work out of “what’s for dinner” and “did we grab it from the ClickList” when mealtimes roll around.
2. In the Bag laundry service. This guilty pleasure benefits everyone in the family
3. Monthly house cleaning. The last thing I want to do on weekends are household chores!
4. Stitch Fix. I don’t have time to scroll through online reviews anymore, let alone shopping and spending hours in a dressing room. This is a fool-proof way to stay relevant and ensure things fit without having to exhaust a Saturday afternoon in a fitting room.
Keep and Open Mind & Embrace Your New Life
So many times, we identify ourselves as what we do not necessarily who we are. I was the caretaker, the appointment keeper, DIY’er, laundress extraordinaire, etc.
I can still do and be all of those things, but now I get paid to do something else, not related to nurturing miniature humans—or rather a 5’6” man child now.
What is more astounding to me is that despite the battle I fought with myself between staying at home or going to work, is that my family rallied behind me to go to work! My father said, “Your job at home was a complete success. Well done. Now it is time to learn how to let go. That is infinitely harder.”
In the grand scheme of things, he was absolutely correct. I had taught our son how to cook, clean, launder, project manage—basically how to take care of himself.
The worst thing I can do now is not let him.
Gracefully allowing my husband to take on a few new roles in his own way, like appointment keeper is actually kind of sexy—getting notifications on our calendar for appointments have been scheduled by someone other than me is just about as big an aphrodisiac as is being greeted with dinner, a glass of wine, and Frank Sinatra playing in the background when I come home from the office.
I think we’re going to be just fine.
