Diving back into the world of work was never going to be easy. I’ve had so long off that going back is not only a huge change mentally, I have to consider the physical side too. Between forgetting my meds and sitting still watching powerpoints in training for too long, the physical bit has so far not gone so well… but never mind. I’m loving being back in work, and I’m enjoying overcoming the challenges it brings.

I’ve always said I’ll never work in an office environment, but clearly the situation I find myself in doesn’t really lend itself to physical/ manual labour, and therefore I’ve found myself a bit limited. That said, the job I’ve got is (so far) extremely interesting, valuable, and rewarding. For those wondering I am being intentionally vague, as due to the nature of my job I don’t really want to name it, but suffice to say I’m interested in my work; it’s not quite where I would ever have imagined I’d be, but it isn’t bad by any means.

As well as work, I’ve been carrying on pushing and making progress in the gym. I’m by no means where I aim to be yet (still a big lad) but I’m trying. It’s been hard with work and the tiredness both pushing me to say “sod it, not tonight” but so far I’ve resisted temptation. Alex has been great in this department (as always) and if you follow her page, you’ll have seen that she’s got me up in the standing frame again. That’s not been easy, but it’s great to be vertical for a little while. The health benefits are incredible too, so please go check it out if you haven’t already! Look for Peak Potential on Facebook!

It is going to get a bit easier, as in the next few weeks I’ll be changing from Monday to Friday, 9-5 to shifts of 4 on 4 off. The days I’m on will be hard, but it will give me more chance to work out during the week, and more chance to see that little light in the sky called the Sun. More importantly, it will give me the opportunity to have a really good work/life balance. As much as I love my work, family and friends are the reason I have such a good life, and so I need to maintain that good balance.

Overall life has been absolutely hectic lately, hence the lack of posting, but now I’m hoping to get back to it on a more regular basis. I’ve had a few really interesting days at work, I’ve had the opportunity to visit some really interesting places and learn a lot. I’ve also got some really exciting things coming up off the back of my hospital board meeting, so watch this space for more info hopefully very soon!

On a final quick note, as we enter a new lockdown scenario, I want to take the time to remind everyone of the community spirit we all found in the first wave. Check in on neighbours who have nobody to help them; keep in touch with family and friends who are struggling; and look after yourselves. No two people have the same experiences day to day, and everyone helping each other can really change someone’s life for the better. Take care all!