I'm returning after leave
Coming back is its own task, whatever the leave was for. A three-day ramp, sane inbox rules, and no apologizing for having been away.
First day back, or nearly. Whatever the leave was for - and every reason is a real reason - re-entry is its own task, not a light switch. The office kept moving while you were away, and walking back into a moving current can wobble anyone.
What your mind is doing: running catch-up math ('how behind am I?'), scanning for what changed, and maybe rehearsing explanations nobody has asked for.
What your body is doing: first-day-of-school nerves - light sleep before the return, restlessness, tiring sooner than you used to. Stamina for office rhythms fades fast and rebuilds fast; this part is temporary.
Why this happens: routines are load-bearing, and yours got rebuilt around something else for a while. The brain treats re-entry as novelty, and novelty burns energy - feeling slow in the first days is the system rebooting, not proof you've fallen behind for good.
Check-in
How wobbly does being back feel?
Guided exercise
The three-day ramp
Step 1 of 4
Ramp, don't sprint
Days one to three: read, ask, re-orient - and commit to nothing big. A ramp isn't slacking; it's how you avoid the expensive mistakes people make while catching up.
Quick quiz
You're back to hundreds of unread emails. What's the most useful first move?
Check-in
What's one thing from your time away - a pace, a habit, a perspective - you don't want the return to erase?
Longer term: give it two weeks before you judge anything - your pace, your role, whether you 'still fit'. Most re-entry verdicts written in week one are wrong, because they're written by the wobble.
A therapist would tell you: returning changes you both ways. You may care about different things than before you left - that's information to sit with, not a problem to hide.
Common mistakes: working extra hours to 'repay' the leave; saying yes to everything in week one to prove you're back; excavating the whole inbox; and explaining your leave to everyone who asks - a one-line answer you've decided in advance is enough, and you owe nobody the details.
When to seek more support: if a month in you still feel like a visitor, or the dread keeps growing instead of fading, or sleep hasn't settled - talk to a professional, especially if the leave itself was for something heavy. Landing can take help; that's allowed.
