Man, I forgot how much mental energy actual work takes. Spent the first two days just staring at emails like they were written in another language. My boss wants me on a project that launches in 3 weeks and I'm still thinking about whether my wife remembered to order diapers. Anyone else struggle with this transition? The guilt is real even though I know I need to work.
I remember that feeling when I went back. The hardest part was realizing how much I'd missed while I was thinking about work the first week instead of being present with the family. Does it get easier or does it just become normal?
Man that's real. The transition back is brutal. Eight weeks and your brain kind of resets into dad mode, then suddenly you're supposed to context switch back to work brain. How are you managing the guilt piece?
Those first two weeks back are rough. Everything feels slower somehow even though you're busier. Give yourself a minute to readjust. The emails will still be there.
Eight weeks is a long time to be away from work mode. Your brain actually has to reboot. Give it a solid week before you panic. The mental energy will come back but right now you're running on fumes.
That first week back is brutal no matter how excited you were for paternity leave. Your schedule, your brain, everything is different. Just push through and be patient with yourself. It gets normal again.
Did you have any trouble sleeping the first few nights back? I'm wondering if that's making it worse for you.
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This is exactly what happened to me. Eight weeks off and I forgot how much of my mental bandwidth work takes. By day four or five it started coming back though. You're not losing it, you're just rebooting.