Working on the School Bond Referendum was an intense effort spanning 6 months for the volunteer committee and much longer than that for the district leadership. It is such a letdown that we received the majority of votes, but not the 60% required to pass.
I think all of us who were intimately involved are feeling a “bond hangover,” where we’re not working at 100% and our brains haven’t quite grasped the reality. Everyone is asking, “What now?” but it is far too soon to answer. Right now, the task is to “feel all the feelings,” which certainly includes sadness and anger.
If you’re working on a major project, taking a big trip, hosting holiday functions, or doing anything substantial that has a defined ending, plan ahead for “hangover” time. Preemptively clear your calendar for the day(s) after. If you accomplish anything, have a list of brainless tasks (e.g., collecting signs) that you can do, instead of expecting to do deep work (e.g., write a final report).
This type of hangover is as predictable as if you had binged at the bar. Do yourself a favor and create the space to decompress, to celebrate or commiserate, and to recharge before charging back in to tackle the next big thing.
