Dreading the Return to Work?

Dreading the Return to Work?

What can the return from a summer break reveal about how you really feel about your job.

The first morning back after a summer holiday isn’t anyone’s favourite. Your inbox is bursting, your pre-holiday to-do list is still there, and the idea of swapping shorts and flip-flops for “suitable workwear” is unlikely to fill anyone with enthusiasm. But that doesn’t mean you need a new job.

In my experience, it’s only when that feeling of dread lasts beyond the first few days that it becomes worth paying attention to.

Taking a holiday creates distance from the routines and pressures we become used to. It gives us time to think and clear our minds, often without deliberately trying. Returning to work has a habit of making the things we’ve been tolerating suddenly feel much clearer.

It’s not that the break has created a new sense of dissatisfaction or unease. It simply makes those feelings harder to ignore.

The latest CIPD Good Work Index, based on a survey of more than 5,000 UK workers, found that 70% of employees are satisfied with their job. That’s reassuring, but it’s not the whole picture. A quarter said their work has a negative impact on their mental health, while 30% felt their workload was too high.

What are you really dreading?

Those figures reflect what I often hear from people who are beginning to question whether their current job is still right for them. More often than not, they aren’t unhappy with their employer, or even their job as a whole. What has happened is that one negative element of their work has gradually begun to outweigh everything else.

It could be a difficult manager, a lack of progression, an out-of-control workload, a loss of flexibility, or simply the feeling that they are no longer learning. So, before deciding that leaving is the answer, work out exactly what you are dreading.

It may be something that could change if you raise it with your employer and have an honest conversation. However, it’s equally important not to talk yourself out of what you already know, particularly when you have been with the same employer for a long time.

Being good at a job and being comfortable in it are not the same as finding it fulfilling.

Don’t rush, but don’t ignore it

If you can’t shake the feeling of dread, you do not need to resign on your first Monday back, nor should you. A career decision made in the emotional aftermath of two weeks of sun-soaked bliss, followed by six loads of late-night washing, is unlikely to be your finest strategic hour.

Give yourself a little time and notice what happens. Does your energy return once you settle back in, or does the same frustration quickly take over?

Think about what you might want from your next step and explore what is available. Looking at other opportunities doesn’t commit you to leaving. It gives you something useful against which you can assess your current position.

Most post-holiday reluctance passes. Persistent dread deserves more attention, because going back to work shouldn’t feel like returning to a life you are trying to escape.