So, after several months at home, I am gearing up to return to the world of work. I’m not going to lie, it feels strange.

I’ve been very fortunate in that I live in the UK and have been furloughed. This has allowed us as a family to tick along from a financial perspective and for me to take on a significant role in childcare so my partner (who works in healthcare) can work as and when has been needed.

With that all about to change, it’s time to think about how to plan and prepare for a return to work. I did take a moment this morning just to sit outside with my coffee as the sun came up and most normal people were still in bed to quietly think about how to do this.

Coffee in silence

Schedules

We still have reduced childcare for the foreseeable future, so planning out our hours and time-blocking means we will hopefully manage the logistics of work without sacrificing too much combined family time. In the early stages of lockdown it felt like we were tag-team parenting which is not sustainable or healthy in the long term. I’ve been listening to Cal Newport’s podcast to get ideas from a fresh perspective.

Meal Planning

I’ve been doing this on a more ad-hoc basis during lockdown, simply because I enjoy cooking and the kitchen has been more accessible than when I was working full time out of the house. It’s time to think about batch cooking and quick and easy healthy meals – more of a challenge than it should be when you have a toddler under dietician supervision.

Downtime

I’ve struggled with relaxation the most over the past few months. We don’t have a large house, so there is a sense you’re never far away from other people or lego blocks. I have a lengthy commute to the office (usually an hour each way) so I am planning audio content so that it feels like there is some greater pleasure and purpose than simply getting from A to B. I also need to make sure to schedule and protect that alone time without feeling guilty (easier said than done).

Habits and Routines

I live my life by my habits and routines, but it’s worth noting that any significant change is an opportunity to review what you currently do and question whether or not it is still fit for purpose or if it could be done better. I’m thinking of moving things around to make it more likely that writing will get done. It’s likely that something will have to be sacrificed to make room for that, but I’d like to make it a conscious choice rather than anything else.

As more of us return to work, it’s clear that there will be a new normal for much longer than many politicians are willing to admit. It’s how we adapt to these changes without damaging our physical, social and mental health that will determine our success in the long term.