Opinion: Don't fall into trap of overworking after lockdown ends

Nine years ago, when I set up my business, I had two children under the age of three.

We could stretch to one day of childcare a week. The rest of the week I juggled, looking after two small children with work. Once they are in bed that is your time.

‘My time’ often stretched into the early hours of the morning as I worked on projects that, in an ideal world, would have been completed nine-to-five in a child-free environment.

However, I was falling into a trap that took me seven years to escape from.

My business grew and so did my bank balance, allowing me the luxury of full-time childcare and an office.

But by this time I had fallen into the trap of working for working’s sake.

As well as working nine-to-five in my office, once the kids were in bed I continued to work into the early hours at home.

Those evening hours soon extended to the weekends.

Life had become a cycle of work. I was living to work.

I broke the cycle with help from a life coach.

She helped me clear my head and realise what my priorities were - family time. I also realised there was no need for me to work such long hours and I was setting unnecessarily high expectations.

So now, during lockdown, I find myself in a similar situation to the one I was in nine years ago. This time I am not looking after toddlers but I am homeschooling my now nine and 12-year-old boys.

To be honest, it’s proving as demanding and frustrating as looking after toddlers. I find myself catching up on my work late at night and I have returned to working into the early hours. I am hearing similar stories from friends and colleagues.

When lockdown ends. those of us that are combining working from home with home schooling will briefly feel like we’re on holiday.

However, and here’s my warning, this honeymoon period will end and you may then feel that you’re not working long/hard enough because you are not working in the evening.

Push this thought out of your mind. Instead, just enjoy it.