Tomorrow I Return

So…tomorrow is the day. I return to work after being away from school for seven months.

I’m a little anxious about it. On one hand, it will be good to get back into a routine and do something productive. On the other hand, I’m concerned about the stress and whether I’ll be able to handle everything that comes with returning to school.

At the same time, I’m starting a DBT program that meets three days a week in the late afternoon and early evening. I know the program will be helpful, but it will also take up a significant amount of family and work time. I’ll have to adjust to a new schedule and be better prepared to manage the challenges that come with it.

After seven months away, I know I can’t expect to walk back into school and immediately be at 100 percent. I’m not there yet, and that’s something I need to accept. I also need to talk with my principal about what has been going on so he understands where I am and what I’m working through. Returning to work is going to take some adjustment.

Right now, I only have 19 students, which is fantastic! Of course, that probably means I’ll be first in line for any new students who move into the school. For now, though, I’ll take the 19 and be grateful.

Tomorrow should be a fairly calm way to ease back into things. It’s the first day back for teachers, and there isn’t much on the agenda. We have some work time, a meeting, and then lunch provided by the PTO. I have a feeling the week will go pretty quickly. After that, we’re heading up north for the long weekend, which will be a nice break before the real adventure begins.

I’ll probably be more anxious on Monday than I am right now. That’s okay. I know anxiety doesn’t have to disappear before I can move forward. I can sit with it. I can let it be there without letting it take over.

For now, I’m going to take this one day at a time.

Tomorrow, I return.

And if the anxiety comes along for the ride, I’ll ride the wave.