Friday 27 May 2011

The Work Hangover

Now I was warned it would happen but I guess I wasn't prepared for the full extent of the post work haze that I am kinda stuck in at the moment. I think maybe I was a bit naive and thought that it would only last a couple of weeks and then I would be out of it and feeling amazing and creative.

I'm making things and working hard but I don't feel like I am achieving things, for one I am spending far too long on the massive time suck that is Facebook! I asked a pal who had recently quit her job how long it lasted for her and she said she felt weird for about 6 months... 6 MONTHS!!!

It's hard to put my finger on what's wrong, the post work hangover seems to be a mix of exhaustion, laziness and a weird feeling that really I'm doing something naughty and should be at work. (Not particularly helped by the "jokes" about how many lie ins I can have and how much game time I seem to be logging) There's also this huge guilty feeling when I do anything that isn't work.

I'm still trying really hard to push thru it, and I'm sure I'll get there, but for the time being I know I need to stop beating myself up and just get on with it. I need to enjoy this freedom, after all it's what I worked so hard for.

3 comments:

  1. You are working hard, and you deserve the time off, you were handling two full time jobs in a part time way and it was driving you crazy, don't let anyone make you feel guilty about being able to be self supporting with your art!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keep working at it, Melanie! I find that I need to treat my work like Work, for it to feel like work. I decided in my mind that this is now My Job and that has really helped - it's just a "mental attitude" thing, but it's made a big difference to my feelings.
    I have a routine and try hard to stick to it and not get distracted by Facebook, blogging etc. I try to only log on to FB in the evening, so I don't spend ages there and I've given up playing games too!!
    I have told my family & friends that I'm At Work on Tuesday-Thursday, so not available for other stuff (except when my mum has something urgent). Still educating them - mum especially - as they have got used to me being more flexible with my timetable. It was definitely easier when I had my job at the school, because I was Out At Work then - it was more obvious to everyone what I was doing.
    Now I have a daily routine and assign certain times to do specific tasks, as one would in a job anywhere else. I make plans for my week, keep a calendar & diary and try to keep to my plans.
    You are welcome to e-mail me (or message me on FB), if you want to moan at a fellow "work-from-homer". A thing it is hard to adjust to, is having no colleagues - no-one to chat to, share work issues with, moan about the boss with etc...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have days when I work longer hours than I did as a teacher (which is quite funny when you consider I gave up teaching through stress/overwork!) but then other days, like today, when we've been to the beach, birdwatching at the Nature reserve and lunch out...bliss! it's all about balance, and you'll work it out.

    ReplyDelete